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HEW-Cyclassics-Cup - ProT
Hamburg, Germany, July 31, 2005
Main Page Results Live report ProTour standings
Pippo pips Paolini in Hamburg
T-Mobile and Gerolsteiner come up short; Di Luca keeps ProTour lead
By Jeff Jones
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The Quick.Step-Innergetic team achieved a near perfect result in today's 10th HEW Cyclassics Cup in Hamburg, with Filippo Pozzato beating teammate Luca Paolini and Liberty Seguros' Allan Davis in a 15 man sprint. It was the first win of the season for Pozzato, who had a disappointing spring. It was also a reversal of the result in Stage 3 of the Tour de la Region Wallonne last Wednesday, where Paolini had pipped Pozzato to win.
"Today the tables were turned," said Pozzato, who was more concerned with the fact that a Quick.Step rider won today. "But to be honest my success needs to be shared with the rest of our team, and in particular with Paolini and Tankink. I've done a lot of work over the past few weeks to get myself in top condition, even doing some intense altitude training in the mountains surrounding Livigno. At last it seems like all of my hard work is starting to pay off."
Luca Paolini almost beat Pozzato with his bike throw, but in the end was awarded second place. "I was feeling really good throughout the race," said Paolini. "Pippo and I were riding the race in parallel and we were able to rely on the help of all of our team, especially Paolo Bettini who did everything possible to keep himself as near to us as possible. Soon I'll be taking part in the GP Camaiore and the Giro del Lazio - both races are suited to my style of riding, so I'll be looking for a victory."
One team that didn't quite get it right today was Fassa Bortolo, which had four men in the final break of 15, but opted to play the Fabian Cancellara card in the sprint. Despite a perfect lead out, Cancellara wasn't up to it today, as he was passed first by Davis, then Pozzato and Paolini.
With hindsight we could say that we could have worked for the others and set up the race differently," commented a disappointed Cancellara. "But at the time, I felt strong and my teammates had confidence in me. Unfortunately it didn't go like I wanted and that's too bad."
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While ProTour leader Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) finished well out of the points in 52nd, one of his most important rivals Davide Rebellin managed to salvage Gerolsteiner's race by finishing fifth, and is now 83 points behind Di Luca in the ProTour standings. It still seems like too big of a deficit to make up, but anything can happen in the final part of the season.
T-Mobile's race didn't finish well at all, however. Although Jan Ullrich was strong and was the man responsible for breaking the bunch on the Waseberg, he could do no better than 12th as he was unable to do anything against the Quick.Step/Fassa Bortolo train that took the lead group to the finish. "It was very hard today," said Ullrich. "With the rain, there was a lot of jockeying for the best position. But I was hoping that Erik [Zabel] would be able to fight his way through. I am pleased with my race, but I had hoped for a better result for the team. In the final run-in I couldn't attack anymore, and my legs were too heavy for the sprint."
How it unfolded
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A large field of hopefuls gathered under grey skies in Hamburg's Monckebergstrasse for the start of the 10th edition of the HEW Cyclassics Cup. It was not a great day for racing, with almost constant rain accompanying the riders on their 250 km tour of Hamburg and its surrounds. First up was a 90 km loop to the south of the city, which included the climb of Langenrehm - the highest point in the race at 140m - after 59 km. Then it was back over the Köhlbrandbrücke and into the centre of Hamburg for the first passage of the finish line.
After the usual flurry of early attacks, it was Jörg Ludewig (Domina Vacanze) who managed to get clear after 34 km, and built up a couple of minutes lead before Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) and Andre Greipel (Wiesenhof) set off in pursuit. The pair took a long time to catch the German, only closing the gap at the halfway point in the race. The three worked well together, but when they hit the first climb of the Waseberg (600m at 16%) with a 12 minute lead and 115 km to go, Greipel had to let go.
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Hoste and Ludewig continued to work well together, pushing their lead out to over 15 minutes at the finish line with 100 km to go. But their strength had been sapped by the rain, and the peloton began to make big inroads into the lead courtesy of Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile - the two favoured German teams. On the finish line after a second lap of the Waseberg circuit with 56 km to go, the leading pair was still 9'07 ahead of the peloton. In other circumstances, this might have been enough to win, but the bunch cranked up the tempo even more, with Barloworld and Quick.Step joining the fray.
Quick.Step had lost Tom Boonen by this stage, but that didn't bother them as they knew Paolini and Pozzato were in good shape, having finished 1-2 in the third stage of the Tour de la Region Wallonne earlier this week. That's why 2003 HEW Cyclassics winner Paolo Bettini was seen on the front of the peloton to assist in the chase. The next 28 km proved telling for the break's chances. On the third climb of the Waseberg with 28 km to go, Leif Hoste rode away from Ludewig, but by this stage the peloton was just 1'21 behind, knocking almost eight minutes off the lead!
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As Jan Ullrich led the bunch up behind, he was marked closely by Fabrizio Guidi (Phonak) and the Quick.Step duo Luca Paolini and Filippo Pozzato. Groups of riders gradually came back to Ullrich's quartet over the top of the climb and on the descent, and when Ullrich realised he was isolated from his teammates and was doing too much work, he sat up. This allowed a counter-attack by Vladimir Gussev (CSC), Bram Tankink (Quick.Step), and Marco Velo (Fassa Bortolo) to go clear, gradually building up a half a minute lead over the reforming peloton where T-Mobile had put Ivanov, Wesemann, and Klier on the front.
The chasing trio quickly caught and dropped Ludewig, then Hoste was swallowed with 19 km to go. When they hit the Waseberg for the last time with 16 km to go, Hoste immediately fell off the pace as Ullrich again drove the peloton up to the front riders, cracking Di Luca and O'Grady on the climb. Alessandro Petacchi crashed at the foot of the Waseberg and fractured a bone in his right little finger.
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A 15 man lead group formed over the top of the climb, with Ullrich (T-Mobile), Velo, Bernucci, Flecha, Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo), Tankink, Pozzato, Paolini (Quick.Step), Davis (Liberty Seguros), Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Elmiger, Grabsch (Phonak), Commesso (Lampre), Gussev (CSC), and Gonchar (Domina Vacanze). The Di Luca/O'Grady group, which also contained Erik Zabel, could not close the gap as the cooperation in front was perfect between the Fassas and Quick.Step.
Bert Grabsch was the only rider to try to break the tempo of the two teams in the downhill run into the finish, but could gain no more than 50 metres. Fassa had the numbers but Quick.Step had the big guns, and after Bernucci, Flecha, and Velo executed a perfect leadout for Cancellara in the final kilometre, it was Allan Davis who struck out for home with 150m to go. But Davis was unable to repeat his compatriot O'Grady's win of 2004, as Pozzato powered past him and hammered for the line. His teammate Paolini came up beside him and nearly got it in the throw, but the finish photo confirmed that it was the flowing-locked Italian who won the 10th HEW Cyclassics Cup.
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Erik Zabel won the bunch sprint for 16th, while Danilo Di Luca finished 52nd and well out of the points today. However, the ProTour leader still has a sizeable advantage over the rest of the competition in the standings and looks good to defend it over the second half of the season.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti
- Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) has each of each hairs in perfect position before the start.
- Time to put on the racing lid. That won't do anything for his hair-do.
- Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) in one of his last races wearing the magenta colours, having announced his separation from the team today.
- Italian champ Enrico Gasparotto (Liquigas-Bianchi).
- ProTour leader Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) and team-mate Enrico Gasparotto thoroughly enjoying their time in front of the camera.
- Igor Astarloa (Barloworld-Valsir) is hoping for a good August classics campaign.
- Hey, is that...
- Why, yes it is! Hello Johan!
- The Fassa Bortolo boys consider their team's future... not good.
- Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) puts his chains away.
- Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) gives himself a manicure.
- Sprinters Petacchi and Boonen shake hands. Why? Because someone asked them.
- Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) didn't want to miss out.
- Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) isn't giving anyone any clues as to his future whereabouts.
- Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile), immensely popular as ever.
- The breakaway duo of Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) and Jorg Ludewig (Domina Vacanze) built up a sizeable lead of more than 13 minutes earlier in the race.
- Hoste and Ludewig go past the start/finish amongst a sea of fans.
- With the break almost 14 minutes ahead, Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile take to the front to bring back the breakaway.
- The peloton enjoys smooth roads compared to those seen at the Belgian classics.
- The peloton goes through the start/finish in the centre of Hamburg
- Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) did plenty of work today, but missed the final winning move.
- Luca Paolini (Quick.Step) drives the break.
- Erik Zabel (T-Mobile Team) did well for an old-timer, winning the bunch sprint for 16th place.
- The Quick.Step duo of Luca Paolini (L) and Filippo Pozzato (M) sail past Liberty Seguros' Allan Davis (R).
- And it's Pippo Pozzato... or is it?
- Both Paolini and Pozzato seem to think they've won it.
- But it's Filippo Pozzato (Quick.Step) who gets the win.
- Filippo Pozzato (Quick.Step) is escorted to the anti-doping control, a mandatory requirement as race winner.
- And the crowd confirms it.
- So does the trophy (note big chainring).
- Filippo Pozzato (Quick.Step) helps his second-placed team-mate Luca Paolini onto the podium.
- And the trophy confirms it (note small chainring).
- The podium - Luca Paolini (Quick.Step, 2nd), Filippo Pozzato (Quick.Step, 1st) and Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros, 3rd).
- Just so you all know how ugly those podium girls are. Not.
- I'm so lonely... Someone's feeling a little left out...
- Paolini and Pozzato take in the Italian national anthem.
- The Quick.Step boyz hit the P squared today!
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) enjoys a virtually unassailable lead in the ProTour.
Images by AFP Photo
- Shall we dance? Pozzato and Paolini cross the line together
- Heyyyy, we did it! Quickstep teammates Pozzato and Paolini celebrate just before hitting the finish line
Images by Andrea Hübner/www.velo-photos.com
- Jukka Vastaranta (Rabobank)
- Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile)
- Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Luca Paolini (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Giosuè Bonomi (Lampre-Caffita) before the start
- Karsten Kroon (Rabobank)
- Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros-Würth)
- The start of the 10th HEW Cyclassics
- Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom)
- Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo)
- Tom Boonen (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Russian Champion for 2005 Sergey Ivanov (T-Mobile)
- The peloton passes the finish line im Hamburg for the second time
- The peloton
- The podium girls didn't enjoy the weather in Hamburg
- Winner Filippo Pozzato (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros-Würth)
- Luca Paolini and Filippo Pozzato (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Luca Paolini (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- A happy winner: Filippo Pozzato (Quickstep-Innergetic)
- Pro-Tour leader Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi)
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi)
Results - 250.5 km
1 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick Step 6.00.59 (42 km/h) 2 Luca Paolini (Ita) Quick Step 3 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 4 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 5 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 6 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 7 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 8 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team CSC 9 Juan Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Fassa Bortolo 10 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems 11 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 12 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 13 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step 14 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 15 Marco Velo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 16 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.28 17 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole 18 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quick Step 19 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 20 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Domina Vacanze 21 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 22 Roger Hammond (GBr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 23 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 24 Stuart O'grady (Aus) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 25 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 26 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 27 Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 28 David Kopp (Ger) Team Wiesenhof 29 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 30 Daniel Schnider (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 31 José Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 32 Matthew White (Aus) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 33 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 34 Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 35 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Française Des Jeux 36 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Domina Vacanze 37 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team CSC 38 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile Team 39 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC 40 Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spa) Bouygues Telecom 41 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 42 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 43 Luca Solari (Ita) Domina Vacanze 44 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Credit Agricole 45 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 46 Igor Astarloa Ascasibar (Spa) Team Barloworld-Valsir 47 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 48 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 49 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 50 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 51 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 52 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 53 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 1.00 54 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 55 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 56 Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 1.29 57 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.58 58 Allan Johansen (Den) Team CSC 59 Marcus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 2.32 60 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank 61 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Davitamon-Lotto 62 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Credit Agricole 63 Christophe Kern (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 64 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Rabobank 65 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 66 Nicola Loda (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 67 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Ag2r Prevoyance 68 Francisco Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 69 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 70 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 71 Jan Hruska (Cze) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 72 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 73 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 74 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team 75 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Ag2r Prevoyance 76 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems 7.13 77 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank 78 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 79 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 80 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir 81 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 82 Giulio Tomi (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir 83 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 84 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi 85 Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 86 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 87 Mikel Pradera Rodriguez (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 88 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 89 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 90 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 91 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Domina Vacanze 92 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française Des Jeux 93 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank 94 Janek Tombak (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 95 Rony Martias (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 96 Ian Mcleod (RSA) Française Des Jeux 97 Angel Edo Alsina (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 98 Jose Julia Cegarra (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 99 Marco Milesi (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 100 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 101 Steffen Radochla (Ger) Team Wiesenhof 102 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 103 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas-Bianchi 104 Uros Murn (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 105 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 106 Antonio Salomone (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir 107 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Domina Vacanze 108 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 109 Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Barloworld-Valsir 12.23 110 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Wiesenhof 13.15 111 Koen De Kort (Ned) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 14.34 112 Jose Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 17.54 DNF Jimmy Casper (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone DNF Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone DNF Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone DNF Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto DNF Henk Vogels (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto DNF Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto DNF Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC DNF Jakob Piil (Den) Team CSC DNF Lars Michaelsen (Den) Team CSC DNF Marco Pinotti (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir DNF Ivan Ravaioli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir DNF Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo DNF Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole DNF Sébastien Joly (Fra) Credit Agricole DNF Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Credit Agricole DNF Kilian Patour (Fra) Credit Agricole DNF Damien Nazon (Fra) Credit Agricole DNF René Andrle (Cze) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team DNF Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team DNF Sergio Miguel Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team DNF Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team DNF Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team DNF Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team DNF Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team DNF Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team DNF André Korff (Ger) T-Mobile Team DNF Stephan Schreck (Ger) T-Mobile Team DNF Thomas Ziegler (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step DNF Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step DNF Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne DNF Giosuè Bonomi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita DNF Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Bouygues Telecom DNF Anthony Ravard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom DNF Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Domina Vacanze DNF Baden Cooke (Aus) Française Des Jeux DNF Fabien Sanchez (Fra) Française Des Jeux DNF Christophe Mengin (Fra) Française Des Jeux DNF Antton Luengo Celaya (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi DNF Aketza Pena Iza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi DNF Enrico Degano (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir DNF Sean Sullivan (Aus) Team Barloworld-Valsir DNF Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance DNF Laurent Mangel (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance DNF Erki Pütsep (Est) Ag2r Prevoyance DNF Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance DNF Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2r Prevoyance DNF André Greipel (Ger) Team Wiesenhof DNF Jens Heppner (Ger) Team Wiesenhof DNF Roberto Lochowski (Ger) Team Wiesenhof DNF Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Wiesenhof Climbs classification 1 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 9 pts 2 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Domina Vacanze 6 3 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 1 4 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 1 Sprints classification 1 Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Domina Vacanze 8 pts 2 Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5 3 André Greipel (Ger) Team Wiesenhof 5 4 Giulio Tomi (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir 4 5 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 1 6 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole 1
ProTour standings
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 184 pts 2 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 139 3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 136 4 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 120 5 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 111 6 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 101 7 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 98 8 Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 95 9 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 94 10 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 92 Full standings
