51st Coppa Sabatini - 1.2

Italy, September 25, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Bossoni wins 51st Coppa Sabatini

Happy Bossoni
Photo: © Olympia

27 year old Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-So.Di) has taken out the 51st edition of the Coppa Sabatini in a small group sprint. The Italian beat compatriots Luca Paolini (Quick.Step) and Mirko Celestino (Saeco) in the uphill finish in Peccioli, despite a strong surge from Paolini at the end. It was Bossoni's fifth career win and his first of the season.

"Kolobnev started the sprint first and I followed him," said Bossoni post-race. "Then I could pass him easily and in the final hundred metres I saw that no-one was able to close the gap. So I knew I would win the race."

"In the beginning of the break I did not think I would make it to the finish because I didn't feel good. Then I also had the support of my DS Franco Gini and I got through the most difficult moment."

Italian national selector Franco Ballerini will finalise the Italian squad next Monday, and the front riders today will certainly influence his decision as to who he will take to Hamilton. "Fabio Sacchi was excellent but also Mario Scirea was very capable," said Ballerini. "With Peccioli the national team is decided: I got the answers I was looking for. Paolo Bossoni could be a new addition. I am actually happy that he won the Coppa Sabatini, in front of a crowd as important as that of the Coppa Sabatini."

Ballerini also added that Dario Frigo "will participate in the time trial World's and for the road race we'll see how he finishes the Vuelta."

Photography

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI) thanks the man up above for his victory today, comfortably beating Luca Paolini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) and Mirko Celestino (Team Saeco) for the win.
Yeeaah! Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI) delighted with himself after notching his first win this year.
Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI) tries the hands-by-the-side victory salute. Equally dramatic.
Paolo Bossoni getting the most from his vocal chords.
The podium - (L to R) Luca Paolini (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 2nd), Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI, 1st) and Mirko Celestino (Team Saeco, 3rd).
Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI) and Fred Rodriguez could quite easily be mistaken for each other, especially being team-mates.
After displaying all that emotion earlier on, Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola-SO.DI) looks completely exhausted.

Image by Olympia Photo/www.olympiaphoto.com

Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola) wins the 51st Coppa Sabatini ahead of Luca Paolini (R) and Mirko Celestino (L)

Images by Coppa Sabatini

The peloton roll along in bright sunshine during the 51st Coppa Sabatini
Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola) shouts in triumph as he crosses the line to win
The podium (L to R): Luca Paolini (Quick.Step), Paolo Bossoni (Vini Caldirola), and Mirko Celestino (Saeco)

Results - 197.7 km

1 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI             4.59.21 (39.626 km/h) 
2 Luca Paolini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
3 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Team Saeco
4 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
5 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Fassa Bortolo
6 Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
7 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
8 Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino
9 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) iBanesto.com
10 Massimo Codol (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino
11 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
12 Joseba Albizu Lizaso (Spa) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino   0.05
13 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon                 0.10
14 Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzb) De Nardi-Colpack
15 Gianluca Tonetti (Ita) Tenax
16 Mario Scirea (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron              0.13
17 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack               0.16
18 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Team Saeco                          1.25
19 Matej Jurco (Svk) De Nardi-Colpack                     7.04
20 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                  7.15
21 Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) Alessio                         7.40
22 Domenico Passuello (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon          7.50
23 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio                         8.50
24 Ivan Fanelli (Ita) Amore & Vita-Beretta
25 Sergiy Adyeyev (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
26 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Alessio
27 Roger Beuchat (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
28 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance
29 Marco Velo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
30 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
31 Przemyslaw Niemec (Pol) Amore & Vita-Beretta
32 Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) iBanesto.com
33 Elio Aggiano (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
34 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
35 Lorenzo Cardellini (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
36 Michal Precechtel (Cze) eD'system-ZVVZ
37 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski
38 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) AG2r Prévoyance
39 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Lampre
40 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
41 Michael Albasini (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
42 Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
43 Allan Davis (Aus) O.N.C.E.-Eroski
44 Tom Suttham (GBr) Amore & Vita-Beretta
45 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
46 Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spa) iBanesto.com
47 Kevin De Smedt (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon
48 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) iBanesto.com
49 Santo Anza (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
50 Nicolas Portal (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance
51 Bo Hamburger (Den) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
52 Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
53 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino
54 Ondrej Fadrny (Cze) De Nardi-Colpack
55 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI
56 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
57 Cristiano Frattini (Ita) Tenax
58 Tomas Konecny (Cze) eD'system-ZVVZ
59 Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre
60 Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
61 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) iBanesto.com
62 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) iBanesto.com
63 Matteo Cappe' (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
64 Milan Kadlec (Cze) Lampre
65 Michele Bartoli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
66 Luca Solari (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino
67 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
68 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Lampre
69 Alessio Galletti (Ita) Team Saeco
70 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
71 Davide Casarotto (Ita) Alessio
72 Pasquale Muto (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
73 Timothy Jones (Zim) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
74 René Andrle (Cze) O.N.C.E.-Eroski
75 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio
76 Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI
77 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Team Saeco
78 Crescenzo D'amore (Ita) Tenax
79 Davide Bramati (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
80 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Amore & Vita-Beretta
81 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
82 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Team Saeco

Starters: 143	
Classified: 82

Past winners

2002 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
2001 Dmitri Konyshev (Rus) Fassa Bortolo    
2000 Andreij Tchmil (Bel) 
1999 Dmitri Konyshev (Rus) 
1998 Emmanuel Magnin (Fra)
1997 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1996 Bjarne Riis (Den)
1995 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1994 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1993 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita)
1992 Stefano Zanini (Ita)
1991 Franco Chioccioli (Ita)
1990 Moreno Argentin (Ita)
1989 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1988 Claudio Corti (Ita)
1987 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1986 Jean-Francois Bernard (Fra)
1985 Marino Amadori (Ita)
1984 Silvano Contini (Ita)
1983 Moreno Argentin (Ita)
1982 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1981 Claudio Bortolotto (Ita)
1980 Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita)
1979 Leonardo Mazzantini (Ita)
1978 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1976 Piero Spinelli (Ita)
1975 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita)
1974 Wilmo Franconi (Ita)
1973 Mauro Simonetti (Ita)
1972 Antoine Houbrechts (Bel)
1971 Roberto Poggiali (Ita)
1970 Gösta Pettersson (Swe)
1969 Romano Tumllereo (Ita)
1968 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1967 Michele Dancelli (Ita)
1966 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1965 Luciano Armani (Ita)
1964 Italo Zilioli (Ita)
1963 Dino Bruni (Ita)
1962 Giovanni Sabbadin (Ita)
1961 Dino Bruni (Ita)
1960 Graziano Battistini (Ita)
1959 Rino Benedetti (Ita)
1958 Giuseppe Pardini (Ita)
1957 Giambattista Gabelli (Ita)
1956 Idrio Bui (Ita)
1955 Angelo Miserocchi (Ita)
1954 Rino Benedetti (Ita)
1953 Primo Volpi (Ita)
1952 Primo Volpi (Ita)

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com