Italian Championships - CN

Bergamo, Italy, June 21-June 29, 2008

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Day 7 - June 29: Elite men road race, 254km

Simeoni's surprise attack holds on for Italian national win

Filippo Simeoni (Ceramiche Flaminia Bossini Docce) captured the men's road Italian National Championship on Sunday in Bergamo after 254.8 km including 13 laps with one trip per lap up the Colle Aperto. The rider from Milan finished ahead of Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) and Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas).

The 37 year-old won with tenacity, determination and courage after he attacked with four kilometers to go. He quickly got 12 seconds over his former break companions. It was a long way to the finish and his chasers were driving hard to close the gap, but Simeoni made it to the final Piazza Vittorio Veneto with time to raise his arms.

"This tricolour jersey gives me so much joy," said the new Italian Champion. "I have dreamed of it since I was a small child. I have risked my attack and in the end it paid off."

"I was afraid I would not make it in the last kilometer, but I kept pedalling and in the last 100m, I understood I had won. I dedicate this to all who have wished me well and to my wife Annalisa and my son Simone, who followed me on TV."

It was thought to be Simeoni's final season, but now with the tricolor jersey on his shoulders, another year in the peloton is possible.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

The newly crowned Italian champion, Filippo Simeoni (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce), flanked by Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) and Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas).
Filippo Simeoni (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) took the sprint for the championships ahead of many big names.

Results

1 Filippo Simeoni (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)             6.19.15 (40.311km/h) 
2 Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step)                                       
3 Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas)                                           
4 Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)                                       
5 Luca Paolini (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)                            
6 Paolo Bossoni (Lampre)                                               
7 Ivan Fanelli (Cinelli-OPD)                                           
8 Marco Marcato (Cycle Collstrop)                                      
9 Alessandro Ballan (Lampre)                                           
10 Gabriele Bosisio (LPR Brakes)                                       
11 Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale)                                
12 Damiano Cunego (Lampre)                                             
13 Salvatore Commesso (Preti Mangimi)                                  
14 Mirko Selvaggi (Cycle Collstrop)                                    
15 Federico Canuti (CSF Group Navigare)                                
16 Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas)                                         
17 Luca Mazzanti (Tinkoff Credit Systems)                              
18 Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole)                                 
19 Giampaolo Caruso (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)                  
20 Luca Pierfelici (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)                        
21 Francesco Tizza (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                   
22 Leonardo Moser (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli)    
23 Leonardo Giordani (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)                 
24 Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott)                                
25 Marco Cattaneo (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                    
26 Bruno Rizzi (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                       
27 Paolo Bettini (Quick Step)                                          
28 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Liquigas)                                 0.18
29 Matteo Carrara (Quick Step)                                     0.47
30 Marco Frapporti (CSF Group Navigare)                            1.58
31 Marco Pinotti (High Road)                                           
32 Massimiliano Maisto (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)               
33 Simone Bruson (A-Style Somn)                                        
34 Luigi Sestili (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)                     
35 Alessandro Bertuola (Preti Mangimi)                                 
36 Domenico Agosta (Nippo-Endeka)                                      
37 Alessio Signego (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                   
38 Sergio Marinangeli (LPR Brakes)                                     
39 Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre)                                          
40 Matteo Bono (Lampre)                                                
41 Antonio D'Aniello (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)                 
42 Pasquale Muto (Miche-Silver Cross)                                  
43 Santo Anzà (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli)        
44 Andrea Masciarelli (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)                     
45 Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step)                                         
46 Marco Marzano (Lampre)                                              
47 Paolo Bailetti (LPR Brakes)                                         
48 Luca Solari (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli)       
49 Massimo Giunti (Miche-Silver Cross)                                 
50 Enrico Rossi (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                      
51 Devis Miorin (Nippo-Endeka)                                         
52 Sergio Laganà (LPR Brakes)                                          
53 Francesco Failli (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)                       
54 Francesco Reda (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte)                    
55 Fabio Gilioli (Amore & Vita-McDonald's)                             
56 Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld)                                  2.05