Giro d'Italia Femminile - 2.1 (W)

Italy, July 6-15, 2007

2006 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Prologue - July 6: Cocetta del Montello, 3 km
Stage 1 - July 7: Riese Pio X - Pontecchio Polesine, 150.6 km
Stage 2 - July 8: Correggio/Rio - Correggio, 119.7 km
Stage 3 - July 9: Buti - Prato a Calci, 10.2 km
Stage 4 - July 10: Novara - Novara, 129 km
Stage 5 - July 11: Cittiglio - Cittiglio, 103.4 km
Stage 6 - July 12: Cornaredo - Cornaredo, 128.7 km
Stage 7 - July 13: Misinto/Lazzate - Ceriano Laghetto/Cogliate, 120.8 km
Stage 8 - July 14: Seregno - Seregno, 106.4 km

Riders prepare for close-fought Giro

By Greg Johnson

With the men's Giro d'Italia already run and won, the streets of Italy now heat up with the women's version of the famed Grand Tour. The women's race is expected to be hotly contested in 2007, with a handful of riders well and truly in contention for the nine stage event.

Great Britain's World Cup leader Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce-Creation) is a threat anytime she mounts a bike, especially here having already won the event in 2005. Cooke's World Cup rival, and reigning women's world champion, Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) is also a potential contender. The youngster's speed, and an impressive debut at the Tour de l'Aude earlier this season, places the Netherlands rider high on the list of potential victors.

With a mix of speedy youngsters and experienced general classification riders both, T-Mobile and Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko will play their part in the event's progression over the coming nine days.

The trio to watch, however, will be perennial podium placers Edita Pucinskaite (Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung), Nicole Brandli (Bigla), and Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint). The trio, who occupied the entire podium at last year's event, had a total of nine podium finishes at the event between them, including three victories. Ljungskog in particular has been in strong form this season, taking victory in Tour de l'Aude with the help of her Flexpoint teammates who fended off a strong T-Mobile squad at the French event.

The women will undoubtedly be mourning the loss of one of their own when they arrive in Italy, following the death of fellow competitor Liane Bahler (Fenixs - HPB) earlier this week. The youngster, who finished 53rd in last year's race, was tragically killed in a car accident while on route to the airport earlier this week.

Provisional start list

AA-Drink Cycling Team                      Raleigh Life Creation HB
 
1 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita)                    9 Nicole Cooke (GBr)
2 Paulina Brzezna (Pol)                    10 Emma Rickards (Aus)
3 Roxane Knetemann (Ned)                   11 Tanja Slater (GBr)
4 Irene Van Den Broeck (Ned)               12 Patricia Schwager (Swi)
5 Kirsten Vild (Ned)                       13 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl)
6 Inge Van Den Broeck (Bel)                14 Niaki Egsiep (Aus)
7 Katleen Sterckx (Bel)                    15 Karin Thurigh (Swi)
8 Josephine Groenveld (Ned)                16 Pascale Schnider (Swi)
 
Bizkaia Panda Durango                      Safi Pasta Zara Manhattan
 
17 Arantzazu Azpiroz (Spa)                 25 Marta Bastianelli (Ita)
18 Agurtzane Elorriaga (Spa)               26 Alessandra Borchi (Ita)
19 Mireia Epelde (Spa)                     27 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita)
20 Nekane Lasa (Spa)                       28 Vera Carrara (Ita)
21 Josune Murillo (Spa)                    29 Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita)
22 Gema Pascual (Spa)                      30 Luisa Tamanini (Ita)
23 Maitane Telletxea (Spa)                 31 Diana Ziliute (Ltu)
24 Naiara Tellexea (Spa)                   32 Anna Zugno (Ita)
 
Menikini Selle Italia Gysko                A.S. Team FRW RDZ Gauss
 
33 Luperini Fabiana (Ita)                  41 Tania Belvederesi (Ita)
34 Gilmore Rochelle (Aus)                  42 Ketj Manfrin (Ita)
35 Corneo Sigrid (Ita)                     43 Martina Corazza (Ita)
36 Olivia Gollan (Aus)                     44 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus)
37 Dorte Raskussen (Den)                   45 Veronica Leal Balderas (Mex)
38 Miho Oki (Jpn)                          46 Julia Martissova (Rus)
39 Iturriaga Eneritz (Spa)                 47 Silvia Parietti (Ita)
40 Elodie Touffet (Fra)                    48 Tatsiana Sharakova BRL
 
T-Mobile Women                             Team Dila’ Guerciotti Cogeas - Team Cmax
 
49 Judith Arndt (Ger)                      56 Maya Adamsen Watt (Den)
50 Kimberly Anderson (USA)                 57 Mette Andreasen Fisher (Den)
51 Katherine Bates (Aus)                   58 Emanuela Azzini (Ita)
52 Ina Teutenberg (Ger)                    59 Evelyn Garcia (ESa)
53 Chantal Beltman (Ned)                   60 OxanA Kostenko (Rus)
54 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den)             61 Aimee Vasse (USA)
55 Oenone Wood (Aus)                       62 Andreu Marta Vilajosana (Spa)
                                           63 Maria Helena Bornak (Den)
 
S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox             Team Flexpoint
 
64 Grete Treier ETS                        72 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned)
65 Federica Balestri (Ita)                 73 Luise Keller (Ger)
66 Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu)                    74 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)
67 Rebecca Bertolo (Ita)                   75 Loes Markerink (Ned)
68 Jennifer Fiori (Ita)                    76 Mirjam Melchers (Ned)
69 Rosane Kirch (Bra)                      77 Amber Neben (USA)
70 Sara Mustonen (Swe)                     78 Trine Schmidt (Den)
71 Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita)                79 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned)
 
G.S. Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line     Team Saccarelli Emu-Sea Marsciano
 
80 Laura Basso (Ita)                       88 Monia Baccaille (Ita)
81 Maria Cazzola (Ita)                     89 Leda Cox (GBr)
82 Serena Danesi (Ita)                     90 Alessandra D'Ettorre (Ita)
83 Anna Farina (Ita)                       91 Miyoko Karami (Jpn)
84 Lisa Gatto (Ita)                        92 Alice Marmorini (Ita)
85 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita)                  93 Chiara Rozzini (Ita)
86 Francesca Tognali (Ita)                 94 Alessia Quarta (Ita)
87 Laura Bigotto (Ita)                     95 Giovanna Troldi (Ita)
 
Bigla                                      Fenixs - HPB
 
96 Veronica Andreasson (Swe)               103 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)
97 Nicole Brandli (Swi)                    104 Anna Antoshina (Rus)
98 Noemi Cantele (Ita)                     105 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus)
99 Jennifer Hohl (Swi)                     106 Stefanie Gronow (Ger)
100 Monica Holler (Swe)                    107 Deborah Mascelli (Ita)
101 Andrea Thurig (Swi)                    108 Nadezda Vlasova (Rus)
102 Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz)                 109 Olga Slyusareva (Rus)
 
Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung             USC Chirio Forno D’Asolo
 
110 Charlotte Becker (Ger)                 117 Rosa Polikeuiciute (Ltu)
111 Claudia Hausler (Ger)                  118 Jolanta Polikeuiciute (Ltu)
112 Eva Lutz (Ger)                         119 Camila Lozano (Col)
113 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)                120 Uenia Fernandes (Bra)
114 Regina Shuleicher (Ger)                121 Monica Mendez (Col)
115 Claudia Stumpf (Ger)                   122 Katy Redolini (Ita)
116 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu)           123 Samantha Profumo (Ita)
                                           124 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita)
 
Team DSB Bank                              Colavita Sutter Home
 
125 Danielle Bekkering (Ned)               133 Tina Pic (USA)
126 Eyelien Bekkering (Ned)                134 Andrea Dvorak (USA)
127 Andrea Bosman (Ned)                    135 Iona Winter (USA)
128 Sharon Van Essen (Ned)                 136 Alison Powers (USA)
129 Ludivine Henrion (Bel)                 137 Stacey Spencer (Can)
130 Adrie Visser (Ned)                     138 Sarah Tillontson (USA)
131 Marianne Vos (Ned)                     139 Dotsie Bausch (USA)
132 Marieke Van Wanroy (Ned)               
 
Spain National Team                        
 
140 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa)             
141 Ana Belén Garcia Antequera (Spa)       
142 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa)            
143 Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spa)              
144 Rosario Rodriguez Gomez (Spa)          
145 Dorleta Zorrilla Braceras (Spa)        
146 Belén Lòpesz Morales (Spa)             
147 Sara Ortiz Mato (Spa)

Past winners

2006  Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)    Nicole Brandli (Swi)         Susanne Ljngskog (Swe)
2005  Nicole Brandli (Swi)       Joane Sommariba (Spa)        Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) 
2004  Nicole Cooke (GBr)         Fabiana Luperini (Ita)       Priska Doppmann (Swi)
2003  Nicole Braendli (Sui)      Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)      Joana Sommariba Arrola (Spa)
2002  Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Zinaida Stahurskaja (Blr)    Diana Ziliute (Ltu)
2001  Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr)  Nicole Brandli (Swi)         Diana Ziliute (Ltu)
2000  Joane Somarriba (Spa)      Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)
1999  Joane Sommariba (Spa)      Svetlana Boubnkova (Rus)     Daniela Veronesi (Smr)
1998  Fabiana Luperini (Ita)     Linda Jackson (Can)          Barbara Heeb (Swi)
1997  Fabiana Luperini (Ita)     Linda Jackson (Can)          Edita Pucinskaite (Lit)
1996  Fabiana Luperini (Ita)     Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Imelda Chiappa (Ita)
1995  Fabiana Luperini (Ita)     Luzia Zberg (Swi)            Roberta Bonanomi (Ita)
1994  Michela Fanini (Ita)       Kathy Watt (Aus)             Luzia Zberg (Swi)
1993  Lenka Ilavska (Slo)        Luzia Zberg (Swi)            Imelda Chiappa (Ita)
1992  No race held
1991  No race held
1990  Catherine Marsal (Fra)     Maria Canins (Ita)           Kathy Watt (Aus)
1989  Roberta Bonanomi (Ita)     Alexandra Koliasseva (URSS)  T. Vyksted Nyman (Fin)
1988  Maria Canins (Ita)         Elisabeth Hepple (Aus)       Petra Rossner (DDR)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com