 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
92nd Meisterschaft von Zürich - Championship of Zurich - ProT
Switzerland, October 2, 2005
Main Page Results Live report ProTour standings
Fuoriclasse Bettini wins wet Zurich
Di Luca clinches ProTour with solid fourth place
By Jeff Jones
|
Olympic Champion Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) was head and shoulders above the rest of the field in a cold and wet 92nd edition of the Züri-Metzgete. After bridging up to the lead group with 45 km to go together with teammate Luca Paolini, then attacking at 36 km to go, Bettini rode everyone off his wheel and out of sight, eventually crossing the line with a 2'57 lead over Frank Schleck (CSC) and Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo). Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) finished fourth, ensuring that the ProTour leader's jersey will remain on his shoulders for the rest of the season.
"I am over the moon," said Bettini, who was motivated by his frustrating World Championships last week. "This competition here in Zurich is one that I really love and already won back in 2001. The weather today was dreadful, cold and rainy, but nonetheless I decided to go for it as I wanted to win. Today I proved that I am in great shape. Normally I tend to ride better when it is warm, but today even with the rain and the cold I rode a great race."
Bettini confessed that he thought of pulling out because of the weather, but was urged on by his teammates. "I had at my disposal a fantastic team that really motivated me when I was thinking of abandoning the race - they made me react and go for it. This just goes to show how important it is to have a great team and it also shows what a difference this makes in difficult moments."
"At the finish line I had time to kiss the small medallion my wife and daughter, who has just recently had her second birthday, gave me. It really is nice to have the time to be able to soak up every minute of a win. I dedicate this win to both my wife and daughter and Davide Bramati, a great team man, even when he isn't riding."
|
Bettini will miss next week's Paris-Tours, preferring to race in Italy, but will be back in action in the Giro di Lombardia on October 15. "The Lombardia is one of the monuments in cycling. I really would love to win it; it certainly would make a great end to a season where I have often been very unlucky," finished Bettini.
CSC's Frank Schleck made it to the second spot on the podium, even though his team lost Jakob Piil to a crash, with the unlucky Piil being diagnosed with a broken hip. "I'm very satisfied with my result, even though I didn't win," said Schleck. "Bettini was untouchable today, but this is one of those second places you can be proud of. I really felt good out there and all I had to do was try. It definitely wasn't my favourite kind of weather, and I'll admit we did take some chances in the turns in order to keep our distance to our two pursuers. But we made it and it was a big thing for me to end up on the podium in a race like this."
|
Third placed Lorenzo Bernucci didn't really contest the sprint for second place, coming in on Frank Schleck's wheel. But the young Fassa Bortolo rider said he was out of gas. "I went in the break with about two laps to go," he said. "We had 10 and we all worked until Bettin and Paolini came up to us. Paolo was really strong. I tried to hold on, but in the end I really didn't have anything left and I couldn't do the sprint for second place. I'm happy because I'm the only one of the break that managed to finish in the top placings and because this means that after having done a good World Championships, my conditions is still at an optimal level."
How it unfolded
Cold, wet and grey skies greeted the peloton as it lined up on the shores of Lake Zurich for the 92nd Züri-Metzgete. In contrast to the usually hot conditions that this race has enjoyed in August, the early October weather was miserable. It didn't improve during the race either, and many riders chose to hit the showers well before the 241 km distance was up.
The race unfolded a little differently to previous years, too. An early break went after 15 km, containing Mauricio Ardila Cano (Davitamon Lotto), Karsten Kroon and Joost Posthuma (Rabobank), Jan Hruska (Liberty Seguros Würth), Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Aurélien Clerc (Phonak). The group was not pursued at first, and by the time it reached Zurich for the end of the first big lap of 72.5 km, it had 6'30 on the peloton.
|
The commencement of the four 41 km finishing circuits saw things heat up behind the break, with a 17 man group going clear on the Pfannenstiel, containing Marc Wauters (Rabobank), Jurgen Van den Broeck and Viatcheslav Ekimov (Discovery), Markus Fothen and Georg Totschnig (Gerolsteiner) and Vicente Reynes (Illes Balears). But the counter attacking group was brought back to the peloton at the completion of the first 41 km circuit, with 112 km covered in total. The attack had the effect of reducing the gap to the leaders, and after 125 km, the early break of six was caught. In the meantime, Bradley McGee (Francaise des Jeux) crashed and was taken to hospital. Jakob Piil (CSC) also crashed and broke his hip, ending what has been a very unlucky season.
The Quick.Step offensive started after 135 km when Rik Verbrugghe and his teammates Patrik Sinkewitz and Cristian Moreni attacked, taking Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo), the persistent Aurélien Clerc (Phonak), Carlos Barredo (Liberty Seguros Würth), Andrea Moletta and Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner) Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas Bianchi) and Andriy Grivko (Domina Vacanze) with them. They opened up a 2'00 lead on the fragmenting peloton as Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) managed to bridge up with just over two laps (82 km) to go.
On the second last lap, Lampre-Caffita started to force the pace for Damiano Cunego, and reduced the peloton to around 30 riders. Gorazd Stangelj helped to bring the bunch back to just half a minute behind the leaders on the fourth ascent of the Pfannenstiel with 60 km to go, until the pace eased near the top and the gap went up to a minute again. Damiano Cunego then took over on the descent and Quick.Step's Paolo Bettini and Luca Paolini went with him. In set move #2, Bettini and Paolini attacked and bridged up to the 11 leaders in short order. At 45 km to go, there were 13 in front with five Quick.Steps! The chasing bunch, which contained Di Luca, Valverde, and Cunego, was already 58 seconds behind at the finish line with one 41 km lap to go.
|
Bettini got his four teammates to keep the pace high as he divested himself of his leg warmers and overshoes. The gap was 1'20 to the chasing bunch at 36 km to go when Bettini made his move, and no-one had the strength to react. Even when Bettini dropped his chain and allowed Bernucci and Miholjevic to come back to him, he was quickly off again on his own. There was no doubt from then on who would win today: Paolo Bettini was a class above the rest as he powered along through the rain, with Bernucci, Miholjevic and Moletta chasing, then the rest of the break that was gradually being mopped up by a Di Luca-led rearguard action.
At the top of the final climb of the Pfannenstiel, Bettini had 3'00 on a now solo Lorenzo Bernucci, who was caught by a flying Frank Schleck over the top. Then came a group at 3'30 containing Di Luca, Miholjevic (Liquigas Bianchi), Chavanel (Cofidis), Lövkvist (FDJ) and Sanchez (Euskaltel), followed by other bits of the peloton. Schleck and Bernucci had to work hard together to hold off Di Luca and Sanchez, who attacked on the Wetzwil climb with 13 km to go to try and get in contention for the podium. But the young pair riders were able to conserve a slender advantage until the finish, with Bernucci generously allowing Schleck the second place, as the Luxembourg rider had done the most work. Di Luca finished fourth, thereby sewing up the ProTour jersey in the process with two races to go.
The day's honours belonged to Bettini of course, who maintained his impressive three minute gap right to the line, and showed that he was by far the best rider today, making up for his disappointing World's last week.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti
- Brad McGee (Francaise des Jeux) takes another pic for the album
- Ivan Basso (CSC) smiles at the start with Jakob Piil
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) gets ready
- Cunego and Bettini before the start
- Chasing through the streets of Zurich
- Carlos Barredo (Liberty Seguros) on the front of the break
- Gorazd Stangelj (Lampre-Caffita) reducing the gap to the leaders for Cunego
- Cunego and Bettini stay close
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) enjoying himself
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) suffers on Cancellara's wheel
- Cunego protected by Stangelj
- Bernucci leads the 11 man break
- Spectators watch the leaders at the top of the Pfannenstiel
- The lead break
- Luca Paolini (Quick.Step) drives the pace on the Pfannenstiel
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) in the wet
- Luca Paolini (Quick.Step) helps his teammate Bettini
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) had to play a waiting game today
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) ready for a big one
- Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Caffita) with Bettini in tow
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) hammers along in the wet
- Quick.Step finished up with five riders in the break of 13
- Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas-Bianchi) leads on the Pfannenstiel
- Bernucci and Miholjevic leave Moletta behind on the Pfannenstiel
- Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo) fights hard for second
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) concentrates
- It was cold and wet for Bettini in Zurich
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) couldn't work on his tan much today
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) in front
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) solos away
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) consults with Parsani
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) wins the Championship of Zurich
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) celebrates
- Frank Schleck (CSC) beats Bernucci for second
- Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo) post-race
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) after finishing fourth
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) post-race
- That's twice for Bettini in Zurich
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) after his win
- A satisfied Paolo Bettini
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) with a handy vase
- The podium (L to R:) Frank Schleck (2nd), Paolo Bettini (1st), and Lorenzo Bernucci (3rd)
- UCI pres Pat McQuaid with ProTour winner Danilo Di Luca
- UCI pres Pat McQuaid applauds Di Luca
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi): no-one can stop him winning the ProTour now
Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
- Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) salutes as he wins the Championship of Zurich
- The podium (L to R:) Frank Schleck (2nd), Paolo Bettini (1st), and Lorenzo Bernucci (3rd)
- Brad McGee (Francaise des Jeux) hit the deck hard in the difficult conditions
- Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) completes a great season with overall victory in the inaugural Pro Tour and is congratulated by new UCI President, Pat McQuaid
- Wet and wild conditions for riders in the second-last Pro Tour race
Results
Provisional 1 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Innergetic 6.06.22 2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.57 3 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 4 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 3.10 5 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 6 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) T-Mobile 3.35 7 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 3.39 8 Thomas Lövqvist (Swe) Française des Jeux 3.41 9 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 3.57 10 Vladimir Miholjevic (Slo) Liquigas-Bianchi 11 Gregory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 4.37 12 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 4.59 13 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner 6.43 14 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 7.08 15 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 16 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 17 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros 18 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis 19 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Liberty Seguros 7.11 20 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Illes Balears 21 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC 22 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Domina Vacanze 8.38 23 Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 8.40 24 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Illes Balears 25 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Caffita 26 Bram de Groot (Ned) Rabobank 27 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel 28 Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel 29 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 30 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas-Bianchi 31 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo 32 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros 33 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick.Step-Innergetic 34 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Quick.Step-Innergetic 35 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 36 José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Illes Balears 18.04 37 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 24.25 38 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 39 Chris Horner (USA) Saunier Duval-Prodir 40 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 41 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 42 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole 43 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis 44 Philip Deignan (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance 45 Uros Murn (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 46 Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Credit Agricole 47 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC 48 Stephane Goubert (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance 49 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Credit Agricole
ProTour standings
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 229 pts 2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 171 3 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 140 4 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 139 5 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 136 6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 131 7 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 130 8 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 129 9 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 128 10 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 126 Full rankings
