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2nd Monte Paschi Eroica - 1.1
Italy, March 8, 2008
Main Page Results ProTour standings
Cancellara tops Ballan in Eroica duel
By Gregor Brown in Siena
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Fabian Cancellara duelled with Italy's Alessandro Ballan to win the second Monte Paschi Eroica after 181 kilometres of racing. Cancellara, the 2006 Paris-Roubaix champion, attacked with the Lampre rider before the start of the seventh and final gravel sector to catch the last of the day's escapees, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Slipstream Chipotle - H30). They maintained a 30-second advantage over the chasers heading into Siena's Piazza del Campo, where Cancellara took the win after hitting the front with 150 metres to go.
"I did not feel good this week. I was not 100 percent. Above all, I came here to see how I am going for Belgium," said Cancellara on Siena's Piazza del Campo, where the famous twice-yearly horse races – Palio – is held. "I would say that now I am in a good position for the next races."
Ballan had an optimum position, behind Cancellara, in the final kilometre, but didn't have the legs to finish off his sprint, which he started with 200 metres to go. "Maybe I went a little too early," noted the winner of the 2007 Ronde van Vlaanderen after his second place.
German Linus Gerdemann (High Road), who held the maillot jaune after winning a stage in the 2007 Tour de France, led a group of six home for third position over Martyn Maaskant (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) and Baden Cooke (Barloworld).
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"You have to give your all to win, and see where the limits are," said Cancellara, who added to his first season win, the Tour of California's prologue. "At the end [of the race], I had a lot of emotions in my head, and this drove me on to give my maximum. ... We hit the last curve, I was in front and I knew it would be hard for him [Ballan] to pass after that.
"It means a lot to win in front of Alessandro, he has won Flanders. It is also good for the race, to have two riders like us on the podium. There is a future for this race, it is beautiful race. Here, there isn't the pavé, like in Roubaix, but gravel."
The 2007 edition was won by Cancellara's team-mate, Alexandr Kolobnev, under sunny and warmer conditions, which were lacking today, as the tifosi gathered in Siena's Piazza del Campo in cooler conditions. "The only thing was the weather, but it can go like this anywhere, you never know with the weather."
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Hesjedal was happy with his effort after being caught so close to the line. The 27 year-old rider from USA's team Slipstream was part of an early attack which went away after just 26 kilometres before attacking solo, 27 kilometres from the line. He was caught by the winning duo 18 kilometres later.
"I was just happy to be at the top of the climb, but they came by so quick," he noted. "I could see the other guys coming, and I knew [team-mate] Martyn Maaskant would be there in the finale."
He was impressed with the 'cool' race, "I just gave it all today. The plan was just to have a good ride, so 'mission accomplished.' Now, I will build for Tirreno-Adriatico and ride the Giro d'Italia."
Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) was part of the day's escape, and was impressed with Hesjedal's move while not so happy about his escape companions' unwillingness to cooperate. "It went well in the escape," he noted while sitting on the pavé in the finishing piazza. "The attack by the Slipstream rider was good, while the others just watched each other. I tried, but we were all tired. The gap was dropping [to the main group - ed.]. Then Ballan and Cancellara hit us on an uphill [in the gravel sector]."
63 riders finished, with World Champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) finishing last, at 10 minutes down with Fabio Sabatini (Team Milram).
How it unfolded
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The second edition of Eroica started under cool conditions in Gaiole in Chiant with 118 riders; Carlo Westphal (Gerolsteiner) was the only non-starter. Italian cycling legend Mario Cipollini saw the riders off with race organiser RCS Sport at 11:19.
Gravel sectors and length:
1: km 35.0 at 13.5km
2: km 53.9 at 5.5km
3: km 82.3 at 11.9km
4: km 95.2 at 8.0km
5: km 132.4 at 11.5km
6: km 163.7 at 3.3km
7: km 170.4 at 2.4km
A group of 25 went clear at kilometre 26, before the first sector in Colle Malamerenda. Noted riders in the group were Russian Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) and Italian Champion Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step), who were joined by Mauro Facci (Quick Step), Francesco Bellotti and Giampaolo Cheula (Barloworld), Stéphane Augé (Cofidis), Emanuele Sella, Maximiliano Richeze and Tiziano Dall'Antonia (CSF Group Navigare), Danilo Hondo (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli), Volker Ordowski (Gerolsteiner), Marco Pinotti and Kanstantsin Siutsou (High Road), Christian Murro and Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre), Frederik Willems (Liquigas), Luca Celli and Riccardo Chiarini (LPR Brakes), Eros Capecchi and Ermanno Capelli (Saunier Duval-Scott), Ryder Hesjedal (Slipstream Chipotle - H30), Matti Breschel and Anders Lund (Team CSC), Fabio Sabatini (Team Milram) and Ignatiev's team-mate, Alexander Gottfried (Tinkoff Credit Systems).
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Unfortunately, the race did not start out well for Italians Diego Caccia (Barloworld) and Emiliano Donadello (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli), who crashed in the first sector. The latter suffered facial scrapes while Caccia, from Ponte San Pietro, was worse off, with a nose fracture and lacerations to his right eye area. "I will no longer race Tirreno, but I hope to be back in time for Sanremo," said the optimistic rider on his way home.
The group steadily gained time, dropping Pinotti and Gottfried, to the point of its maximum advantage. By kilometre 94, at the end of the third sector, there was a gap of 2'48" over the peloton, being mostly led by teams Lampre and LPR Brakes.
After three hours and four sectors of le strade bianche ('the white roads'), the average was 40.5 kilometres per hours. Dall'Antonia and Capecchi hit their fellow escapees in succession at kilometres 135, and while only getting a small advantage, it signaled the end of the big group and the formation of a more manageable-sized group.
There were now 13 leaders (Visconti, Bellotti, Chela, Hondo, Siutsou, Murro, Santambrogio, Willems, Capecchi, Hesjedal, Ignatiev, Breschel and Dall'Antonia), who had a lead of 1'25" with 30 kilometres and two sectors left to race.
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MTB rider Hesjedal saw his chance and took off at 27 kilometres to go, before the start of one of the hardest sectors, sector six in San Giovanni. His move put the nail in the coffin of the escape group while the remnants of the peloton were closing in. He quickly had 14" while the main gruppo, led by LPR, was at 1'25"; his gap grew to 25" at 25km to go and then 40" at 18km.
Hesjedal's gap fell back down to 15" at the start of the seventh sector, while Ballan launched the decisive attack, with the race winner in tow. The duo caught the Canadian at nine kilometres to go and were 30" ahead at five kilometres to race.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Gregor Brown/Cyclingnews.com
- The stage is set for signing-in.
- Marco Pinotti (High Road) ready to race on the gravel.
- World Champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) shares a word with RCS Sport Events Director Angelo Zomegnan.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and RCS Sport Events Director Angelo Zomegnan talk at the start.
- Diego Caccia (Barloworld) is built for today's parcours.
- Mario Cipollini was the centre of attention at the race start.
- Race favourite Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) thinks of the spring.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) speaks at the race start.
- Australian Matthew Goss (Team CSC) focused on the spring.
- Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r-La Mondiale) ready.
- Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) thinking ahead to the Giro d'Italia.
- Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) leads the race out of Giaole in Chianti.
- The famous Piazza del Campo in Siena waits for the riders to arrive.
- Anti-doping measures in place in Siena's Piazza del Campo
- Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) not too happy with how the escape unfolded.
- Ryder Hesjedal (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) shows the efforts of his day's work.
- Steven Cozza (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) will be back to race a 'cool' Eroica.
Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
- 2002 World Champion Cipollini talks to the 2006 and 2007 World Champion, Paolo Bettini (Quick Step).
- Mario Cipollini not racing on Saturday but hopes to be back for the Milano-Sanremo, Sunday, March 22.
- Mario Cipollini sees the riders off.
- The decisive moment of the race as Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) (l) and Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) take off.
- Cancellara is using the gravel roads of Italy as test for the pavé in Paris-Roubaix.
- Coming down those gravel roads at full speed can be really hazardous, but it does make for spectacular views.
- The already reduced peloton on the white gravel roads.
- The green Liquigas machine put down the hammer.
- Blue skies at the beginning of the day.
- Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) concentrates as he rides in front of Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC).
- The scene at the start where usually horses reign twice a year for a special event.
- World Champ Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) making sure he won't crash again. He had his fair shares of spills last year and this year went down already twice in races.
- The peloton is strung out as final gravel section drew closer.
- The peloton on a little uphill with Lampre in command.
- The motorbike keeps ahead of of the escape.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) focused on the roads.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) rides at the front.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) rolls into the Piazza del Campo.
- Danilo Hondo (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) was part of the early escape.
- Paolo Longo Borghini (Barloworld) looks ahead.
- Baden Cooke (Barloworld) on the sterrato in Tuscany.
- A High Road rider at the front.
- Piazza del Campo after the arrivo.
- The windy roads of the Siena countryside.
- The peloton started under sunny conditions.
- The race gets going.
- Saunier Duval at the front.
- Saunier Duval driving the pace early on.
- Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) (r) stays alert.
- Beautiful scenery did not help the riders legs.
- The race falls apart on the gravel roads.
- A Lampre rider watches ahead as the race enters Radi
- Rough roads in Tuscany.
- Clouds gather over the race.
- A Milram rider struggles at the back.
- The race winds through the gravel roads.
- Manuel Belletti (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) keeps the gears turning.
- A Cofidis rider gets Mavic service.
- Riccardo Chiarini (LPR Brakes) helped the escape do the pace-making.
- The riders on the small roads around Siena.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) marked by a Slipstream rider.
- Tuscan scenery
- Lampre keeps control for Ballan's eventual attack.
- Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) in the escape group.
- German Danilo Hondo (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) made the escape group of the day.
- Ángel Gómez Gómez (Saunier Duval-Scott) uses special mountain bike brake levers.
- Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) keeps a low profile.
- Christian Murro (Lampre) in the escape.
- Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) was an eventual DNF but is building for the Giro d'Italia.
- Steve Zampieri (Cofidis) grits his teeth.
- The escape group rolls along with a gap around two minutes.
- Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) looked good for the day – he finished 24th.
- Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) on the lam in the final kilometres of the race.
- The race organiser's car waits for the escape group.
- Linus Gerdemann (High Road) crosses the line for third on the day.
- Tiziano Dall'Antonia (CSF Group Navigare) puts down the hammer.
- High Road leads.
- Quick downhills on the gravel roads.
- Jure Golcer (LPR Brakes) looks fast.
- Emanuele Sella (CSF Group Navigare) made the day's escape.
- Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre) looks ahead.
- Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
- Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) looking tough.
- Daniele Pietropolli (LPR Brakes) in the UCI Continental leader's jersey.
- Denis Flahaut (Saunier Duval-Scott) is serviced by the team.
- Andrea Tonti (Quick Step) gives it the gas.
- Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) grabs a bottle.
- Italian Champion Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) is attended to.
- Marco Corti (Barloworld) was an eventual DNF for the day.
- Mauro Da Dalto (Liquigas)
- Giairo Ermeti (LPR Brakes) is focused.
- Baden Cooke (Barloworld) drives the pace in the final kilometres.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) did not have the greatest of days.
- Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) rides in his home region.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) marked by two CSC riders.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) drives after joining the leading escape.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) is guarded by two Barloworld riders.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) marked by Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) and Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC).
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) with Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) in tow as Ryder Hesjedal (Slipstream Chipotle - H30) gets shelled.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) head towards Siena.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) watches his escape companion in the final kilometres.
- Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) drives ahead.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) joins and passes the escape group with Alessandro Ballan (Lampre).
- Attack! Ballan (r) and Cancellara put in the decisive move.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) confirms the fruits of the labour shared with Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) (r).
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) takes his second season win after the opener of the Tour of California.
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) the Monte Paschi Eroica – a sign to come for another Paris-Roubaix victory?
- Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) tops the podium with Linus Gerdemann (High Road) (l) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre).
Results - 181km
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 4.34.41 (39.536 km/h) 2 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 3 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team High Road 0.15 4 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 5 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld 6 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Barloworld 7 Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 9 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 0.38 10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 11 Giairo Ermeti (Ita) LPR Brakes 12 Borghini Longo (Ita) Barloworld 13 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld 14 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 1.10 15 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) LPR Brakes 16 Steven Cozza (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 17 Ángel Gómez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott 18 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 19 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team High Road 20 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 21 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 22 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 23 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval - Scott 24 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 25 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC 26 Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.50 27 Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram 28 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 29 Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC 30 Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 31 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 32 Julien Loubet (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale 33 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas 34 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC 35 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 36 Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 37 Tiziano dall'Antonia (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 38 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step 39 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 40 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare 41 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Barloworld 2.20 42 Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step 4.10 43 Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) Ag2r-La Mondiale 44 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 45 Matteo Priamo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 5.20 46 Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) CSF Group Navigare 47 Christian Murro (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 48 Jure Golcer (Slo) LPR Brakes 49 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis 50 Kilian Patour (Fra) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 51 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld 52 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas 53 Bert Grabsch (Ger) High Road 7.15 54 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) High Road 55 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 8.20 56 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott 57 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval - Scott 58 Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) LPR Brakes 59 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) LPR Brakes 60 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC 9.30 61 William Frischkorn (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 62 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Team Milram 10.00 63 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step DNS Carlo Westphal (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Alessandro Proni (Ita) Quick Step DNF Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step DNF Jean-Charles Senac (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale DNF Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale DNF Rene Mandri (Est) Ag2r-La Mondiale DNF Ludovic Turpin (Fra) AG2r - La Mondiale DNF Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld DNF Marco Corti (Ita) Barloworld DNF Jean Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone DNF Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone DNF Maryan Hary (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone DNF Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone DNF Steve Zampieri (Swi) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone DNF Filippo Savini (Ita) CSF Group Navigare DNF Francesco Tomei (Ita) CSF Group Navigare DNF Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Denis Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Emiliano Donadello (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Manuel Belletti (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Roberto Traficante (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Oscar Gatto (Ita) Gerolsteiner DNF Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner DNF Kim Kirchen (Lux) High Road DNF Marco Pinotti (Ita) High Road DNF Fabio Baldato (Ita) Lampre - Fondital DNF Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre - Fondital DNF Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre - Fondital DNF Roberto Longo (Ita) Lampre - Fondital DNF Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - Fondital DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas DNF Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas DNF Alberto Curtolo (Ita) Liquigas DNF Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas DNF Luca Celli (Ita) LPR Brakes DNF Claudio Cucinotta (Ita) LPR Brakes DNF Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) LPR Brakes DNF Denis Flahaut (Fra) Saunier Duval-Scott DNF Raúl Alarcón Garcia (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott DNF Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval - Scott DNF Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Slipstream Chipotle - H30 DNF Michael Friedman (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 DNF Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team CSC DNF Matthew Goss (Aus) Team CSC DNF Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram DNF Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Team Milram DNF Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Team Milram DNF Elia Rigotto (Ita) Team Milram DNF Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Alberto Loddo (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Ilya Chernetskiy (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
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