11th GP Costa Etrusca - 1.2 (W)

Italy, March 24-25, 2007

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Stage 2 - March 25: Castellina Marittima, 102km

Cooke takes another victory

Nicole Cooke (Team Raleigh Lifeforce)
Photo ©: De Cola

Nicole Cooke (Team Raleigh Lifeforce) took an impressive victory on debut at the second GP Costa Etrusca in Italy. The Briton outpaced rival Luperini Fabiana (Menikini Gysco) in a sprint to the finish which saw her better the Italian by some seven seconds on the 102 kilometre stage.

A decisive move at the 30 kilometre mark split the field in two, with the formation of an eight rider break. The eight strong break comprised of: Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysco), Veronica Leal Balderas (Team Frw Gauss Rdz), Nicole Brandli and Noemi Cantele (Team Bigla), Susanne Ljungskog (Flexpoint Team), Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce), Trixi Worrack and Eva Lutz (Equipe Nurnberger).

The breaks advantage grew to just under three minutes by the 72nd kilometre, and just 10 kilometres later the pace proved to hot to handle for Cantele, who was dropped by the bunch. Meanwhile at the front of the break Cooke, with Luperini in pursuit, were pulling away from the remaining women as they pushed hard towards the line.

"The level of the participation has been high and the formula of the two days has been demonstrated effective," noted event patron Renzo Parietti. "We are satisfied, in spite of the inclemency of the weather. Thanks to the communal administrations [as] they have believed in our plan and have accommodated us in the departures and the arrivals."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by De Cola

Cooke Nicole (Team Raleigh Lifeforce) rides to victory in Italy.

Images by Sebastiano Cipriani/cicloweb.it

Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs-HPB) past winner of Giro di San Marino and Giro del Trentino at the start
Martina Corazza (A.S. Team F.R.W.) won the race of the previous day, the Giro dei Comuni Ribardella-Montescudaio
Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce Creation HB Pro Cycling Team) Recent winner of the Women's World Cup - Geelong keeps her health against the cold weather
Italian national champion Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko) wants to confirm the past victory at the GP Costa Etrusca
A smiling Monia Baccaille (Saccarelli Emu Sea Marsciano) arrived 2nd at the Giro dei Comuni Ribardella-Montescudaio
Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) will be the captain of the big German team, with Schleicher, Pucinskaite and Vzesniauskaite at support
Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team) and Luperini (Menikini Gysko) covered Susanne Ljunskog (Team Flexpoint), Lutz and Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung), Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce Creation HB Pro Cycling Team), Brändli (Bigla Cycling Team) and the covered Verónica Leal Balderas (A.S. Team F.R.W.) in the decisive attack on the Riparbella climb to the first passage in Castellina Marittima
Dutch AA-Drink Cycling Team and Team Flexpoint try to reduce the gap
Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce Creation HB Pro Cycling Team) wins the race with a solo move after the attack of Cantele and Luperini
Luperini (Menikini Gysko) gets the second place ahead Nicole Brändli (Bigla Cycling Team) and Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)
Luperini (2nd), Cooke (1st) and Brändli (3rd) on the podium
Nicole Cooke enjoys her victory

Results

1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team     2.48.53  (36.2 km/h)
2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko                      0.07
3 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team                      0.08
4 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung           0.12
5 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team                       0.13
6 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint                       0.15
7 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                1.25
8 Verónica Leal Balderas (Mex) FRW - Gauss                     1.39
9 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Saccarelli EMU Marsciano               3.55
10 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint