39th Tirreno - Adriatico - 2.HC

Italy, March 10-16, 2004

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Stage 1 - March 10: Sabaudia - Sabaudia, 160 km
Stage 2 - March 11: Latina - Maddaloni, 164 km
Stage 3 - March 12: Maddaloni - Isernia, 168km
Stage 4 - March 13: Isernia- Paglieta, 179km
Stage 5 - March 14: Paglieta- Torricella Sicura, 215km
Stage 6 - March 15: Monte San Pietrangeli - Torre San Patrizio, 185km

Stage 1 - March 10: Sabaudia - Sabaudia, 160 km

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) with his World Champion Decathlon
Best buddies Igor Astarloa and Paolo Bettini at the start
Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) leads Cedric Herve (Credit Agricole) and the rest of the seven man break
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Liberty Seguros) driving the break along
Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) in the latter stages of the race
T-Mobile and Gerolsteiner begin to wind things up in the finishing laps
Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) came close, but no cigar
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) in action during stage 1 of Tirreno
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) powering ahead to his victory
Alessandro Petacchi triumphs while Zabel (L) and Hondo (R) have to settle for the minor placings
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) salutes from the podium with flowers
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) in the leader's yellow/red jersey
Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) won the day's only mountain sprint, thus claimed the green jersey

Images by Olympia Photo

The 'treno rosso' of Saeco in action
Danilo Di Luca (Saeco) looking relaxed in the first stage
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) claims victory in the first stage

Stage 2 - March 11: Latina - Maddaloni, 164 km

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

The dash for the line with Petacchi (R) and Cipo (L) going head to head
All Petacchi, all the time
Chalk another one up for Alessandro Petacchi
The face of a winner
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) still in the leader's jersey
Mauro Zinetti (Vini Caldirola) in the climber's jersey

Images by Olympia Photo

Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) shows the strain of nearly five hours in the saddle
Wet or dry Alessandro Petacchi can certainly sprint
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) is still the man in Tirreno-Adriatico
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) gets the ciclamino jersey of points leader too
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) in the leader's jersey after stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico

Stage 3 - March 12: Maddaloni - Isernia, 168km

Images by Olympia Photo

Both Oscar Freire and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) celebrate Freire's win in stage 3
The Spanish riders observing a minute's silence before the start of Stage 3 in memory of the victims of the Madrid train bombings
The riders and organisers observe a minute's silence before the start of Stage 3 in memory of the victims of the Madrid train bombings
Michael Boogerd (L), Steffen Wesemann (C) and Paolo Bettini (R) were all part of the lead group of 30

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Rolf Aldag (T-Mobile) crossed the summit of the Valico del Macerone in front of everyone
Saeco and Lampre to the front on the climb of Valico del Macerone
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) looking strong
The peloton begins to string out on the climb
Boogerd celebrates as Freire (R) heads for the line in front of Duma
The peloton ascends the climb of Valico del Macerone
Saeco controlling the tempo as Aldag attacks on the left hand side of the road
Giovanni Lombardi tows Cipollini's group of Domina Vacanze riders on the climb of Valico del Macerone
Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) was in trouble on the climb and didn't get back on
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) happy with his third win of the season
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) on the podium with his leader's jersey

Stage 4 - March 13: Isernia- Paglieta, 179km

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) ready for action
Pavel Tonkov (Vini Caldirola) on the attack
Rabobank pulls the peloton along
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) in the race leader's jersey
Danilo Di Luca and Michael Boogerd near the front
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) never far from the front
Last year's T-A winner Filippo Pozzato hasn't shown himself much this year
Wladimir Belli (Lampre) is cool as a cucumber
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) suffering in the points jersey
Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) isn't quite at his best yet
The Cipollini grupetto with the Lion King in tow
Rabobank leads the peloton up the finishing climb
Bettini in front with a lap to go
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) wins the stage ahead of Astarloa and Freire
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) celebrates his win
Giuliano Figueras (Panaria) and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) finish 5th and 6th
Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) rolls across for 21st
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) suffered and just lost the lead
Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) will live to fight another day
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) salutes from the podium
Hello there: Paolo Bettini gets the winner's kisses
Why thank you: Paolo Bettini waves to the crowd
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) is happy to be the new leader

Stage 5 - March 14: Paglieta- Torricella Sicura, 215km

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) does his pre-stage autograph duties
Climbing the snow lined Crognaleto in stage 5
Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) is always easy to spot
Patrick Calcagni (Vini Caldirola) leads Matveyev, Petito and Backstedt in the break
The Saeco boys in action on the climb
Danilo Di Luca (Saeco) leads the group on the climb of Crognaleto
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) is holding a slender lead in Tirreno-Adriatico
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) looking comfy
Yaroslav Popovych leads Pavel Tonkov on the climb
Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) in action during the fifth stage
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) in action during the fifth stage
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) places his final attack with 4 km to go
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) wins the stage ahead of Sergiy Matveyev
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) found strength from his deceased father to win stage 5
Sergiy Matveyev (Panaria) rolls across for second
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) wins the bunch sprint for 5th ahead of Boogerd
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) gets his podium kiss
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) with his winner's trophy
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) gets his podium kiss

Images by Olympia Photo

The Fassa Bortolo team car lurking at the back of the bunch
The peloton realises it has a bit of work to do
There was plenty of snow around as the riders reached 1100m during the fifth stage of Tirreno Adriatico
Marco Velo tows Alessandro Petacchi back to the peloton after the Crognaleto
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) leads Backstedt and the other breakways
Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) dedicates the win to his father

Stage 6 - March 15: Monte San Pietrangeli - Torre San Patrizio, 185km

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Mederic Clain (Cofidis) helps to keep Igor Astarloa out of the wind
Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) looking good
Oscar Camenzind (Phonak) suffers a little in the peloton
Alessandro Spezialetti (Saeco) was the instigator of the main break of the day
Paolo Bossoni (Lampre) leads Rast and Clain in pursuit of the other five
Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) rides in the peloton
Michele Gobbi (De Nardi) tries an attack on his own
Gregory Rast (Phonak) leads the eight man breakaway
Quick.Step-Davitamon had to do a lot of work for Bettini, but it paid off
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) was well supported by Johan Museeuw
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) spent a relatively comfortable day protected by his teammates
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) in the peloton, looking focused
Giuliano Figueras (Panaria) tries a late attack
Giuliano Figueras (Panaria) powers away, but he was eventually caught
Alessandro Spezialetti (Saeco) and Karsten Kroon (Rabobank) were the last of the break to be caught
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) just crosses the line in front of Oscar Freire (R) and Erik Zabel (2nd L)
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) realises that he's won
Oh dear... Oscar Freire is rather annoyed at himself
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) on the podium after another stage win
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) salutes as the leader of Tirreno-Adriatico
A happy Bettini at the end of the day

Images by Olympia Photo

Paolo Bettini and Alessandro Petacchi at the start
Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) had enough and pulled out on the second lap
The peloton ride during the sixth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico
Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) wins the sprint - just