96th Milan - San Remo - PT

Italy, March 19, 2005

Photography

The race

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by AFP Photo

• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) arrives to sign on
• Mario Cipollini (Liquigas-Bianchi) arrives at the start
• Mario Cipollini (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) together early on in the race
• Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) and Mario Cipollini (Liquigas-Bianchi) catch up
• Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) leads Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) during the race
• The peloton along the Via Aurelia
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) gets his nose in front
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) wins the 96th Milan-San Remo
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) could be described as 'really happy'
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) salutes from the podium
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) with the trophy
• Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) counts his lucky stars
• The podium (L-R): Danilo Hondo (2nd), Alessandro Petacchi (1st) and Thor Hushovd (3rd)

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) near the front of the peloton on the Cipressa
• Mario Cipollini (Liqugas) on the Cipressa
• Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) attacks, resplendent (is there any other word you can use?) in his Olympic gold helmet and bike.
• Andrey Kashechkin (Credit Agricole) joins Paolo Bettini
• Paolo Bettini - the effort shows
• Paolo Bettini is still shadowed by Kashechkin
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) doesn't look very happy about having to wear the ProTour leader jersey.
• Oscar Freire takes a drink
• Oscar Freire
• No time to enjoy the scenery for the milan-San Remo peloton
• The peloton rides the coast road on its way to San Remo
• Andrea Tafi (Saunier Duval) attempts to bridge across to the break
• Andrea Tafi in no-man's-land with the peloton breathing down his neck.
• Alessandro Petacchi wins the race every Italian wants to win
• Alessandro Petacchi celebrates
• Alessandro Petacchi leads in some very disappointed-looking runners up, including Gerolsteiner's Danilo Hondo
• Alessandro Petacchi - completely caught up in the moment
• Alessandro Petacchi gets a celebratory hug from his dad
• Alessandro Petacchi is mobbed after the finish
• An emotional Alessandro Petacchi is congratulated by a team-mate
• Somebody up there likes me - Alessandro Petacchi on the podium
• Big smiles from the victorious Petacchi
• Alessandro Petacchi salutes the crowd
• Alessandro Petacchi still a bit teary
• The top three - Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner), Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) and Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole)
• More smiles - Alessandro Petacchi is scheduled for grin-removing surgery on Tuesday
• Alessandro Petacchi pulls on the proTour leader jersey.
• The start was pretty fast
• Clear, blue sky for the Classicissima
• Where's my drink? struggled to rejoin the peloton
• Still riding hard: the five breakaways
• The initial break led by Righi (Lampre-Caffita)
• The World Champion wearing the ProTour jersey
• Gerben Löwik (Rabobank) followed by Tosatto (Fassa Bortolo)
• The bunch coming down the Poggio
• Alberto Ongarato (Fassa Bortolo) taking over the train
• Tosatto (Fassa Bortolo) crying in the wind what's happening 72
• Andrea Tafi and Francesco Casagrande trying to keep clear
• Tongue is out: Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues) concentrating
• Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) suffering
• Those Poggio hairpins are something!
• Bettini (Quick.Step) does the job for his teammate Boonen
• Big buddys: Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) and Angel Vicioso (Liberty)
• The bunch on its way to the Via Roma
• Vicioso doen't want to give up!
• Getting caught: Vicioso (Liberty) Tiralongo (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare)
• T-Mobile's Alexandre Vinokourov in top position to catch the leaders
• Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) working hard!
• Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) leading the break on the Poggio
• Pellizotti (Liquigas) closely followed by Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)
• Oscar Pereiro (Phonak) tries to break away
• Casagrande (Naturino) in the break
• Casagrande (Naturino) shows his race face
• Tiralongo (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) on the attack with Casagrande (Naturino)
• Jörg Jaksche (Liberty) leading the bunch
• On the attack: Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) with Andrey Kashechkin (Credit Agricole)
• Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) still going strong

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

• Paolo Bettini pushed hard - one of the protagonists of the sprint home
• Hey, Mr Boonen...
• Tom Boonen (Quick Step) sits pretty
• Tom Boonen (Qick Step) before the start
• The pace was pretty quick from the off
• The last roar on via Roma from the Lion King
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) arrived in good form
• World Champ Freire was a marked man...
• Historic towns add to the history of Milan-San Remo
• An emotional Alessandro Petacchi after winning
• A massive yell for Petacchi at the finish
• A shot for the ages and especially Ale-Jet
• The bunch hit the coast and hit the pedal
• The bunch snakes away
• It was a quick race

Live coverage and before the start

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Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews.com

• That's my boy: Ernesto Colnago greets World Champion and ProTour leader Oscar Freire this morning in Milano's Piazza Sant'Ambrogio before the start of Milano-Sanremo
• Walking tall Ale-Jet Petacchi heads towards his date with destiny on Via Roma
• Chillin': Alessandro Petacchi Far From The Madding Crowd
• Can the Lion roar again? Cipo and his race face head to sign-in at Milano-Sanremo
• Raging Bull: Discovery Channel's Stijn Devolder is a big talent who seems to come out of nowhere when the racing gets hardest.
• Dig Captain America! Davitamon-Lotto's Fred Rodriguez gets another shot at glory at Milano-Sanremo this year
• MSR Joker Sergio Marinangeli says buongiorno to RAI-TV's Alessandra Di Stefano
• Mr. Tricolore Italian Champ Cristian Moreni is one of the nicest guys in the peloton.
• Stuey speaks
• Ciao Americano: Guido Trenti (Quick.Step) tells the media that he and Tom Boonen are one dangerously dynamic duo for Milano-Sanremo
• Perfect name for a bicycle racer: Marco Velo tells the TV lady how he and Petacchi are gonna whupass in Sanremo.

Images by Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews.com

• The last 250 metres of Milano-Sanremo are dead straight along the famous Via Roma in the centre of San Remo, but are slightly uphill, therefore favouring power sprinters like Tom Boonen (if he makes it over the Cipressa/Poggio) or Oscar Freire, or 'jumpy' sprinters like Paolo Bettini or Allan Davis. It's an overcast day in San Remo, but expect the afterburners to be working overtime down the Via Roma!

Images by Marco Bardella

• Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
• Tom Boonen (Quick.Step) with teammate Bram Tankink
• Mirko Celestino (Domina Vacanze) rolls up for the start
• The start in Milano's Piazza Sant'Ambrogio