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3rd Montepaschi Strade Bianche - Eroica Toscana - 1.1
Italy, March 7, 2009
Lövkvist leads Eroica's foreign front
By Gregor Brown
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Thomas Lövkvist won the 3rd Eroica Toscana Saturday in Siena, Italy. The Swede of Columbia-Highroad battled over 190 kilometres – 57.2 kilometres on gravel roads – to lead a foreign front into the city's Piazza del Campo ahead of German Fabian Wegmann (Milram) and Swiss Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale). Giovanni Visconti (ISD) was the highest placed Italian, in sixth.
Lövkvist claimed his first road win since the Critérium International time trial two years ago. He finished eighth in his first participation of Eroica last year.
"I've never taken a one-day race before, previously my wins had always been in stage races," the 24-year-old Lovkvist said. "That makes my victory here even more special than usual. I took eighth last year in the same race, so I knew what to expect, but the gravel tracks haven't got any easier!"
It is the third year for Organiser RCS Sport to the race held on le strade bianche and the third year that a home rider failed to win. Italy's Alessandro Ballan finished second behind Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) in 2008, but the Lampre-NGC rider had to renounce the race this morning to a fever. Manuele Mori was the best placed Italian in 2007, fourth behind Russian Alexandr Kolobnev.
The race started at 10:49 under partly cloudy skies. There were 112 of the listed 114 riders (no Ballan or Gerald Ciolek of Milram) who departed from Gaiole in Chianti. The race headed south towards the first of eight sectors.
Italy's Luca Pierfelici (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) started an escape group at kilometre 28. He went seven kilometres before the first of eight white gravel sectors, one of 13.5 kilometres.
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Italians Diego Caccia (Barloworld), Riccardo Chiarini (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) and Ukrainian Oleksandr Kvachuk (ISD) joined Pierfelici. The four built a maximum advantage of 5:28 at kilometre 60, shortly after the second sector. Diego Nosotti (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) trailed in a solo fruitless effort.
The escape's distance over the main group started to fall on the loop back north to Siena. The four confronted the back-to-back sections of three and four - a total of 19.9 kilometres over gravel, which included difficult climbs and descents.
The group nailed Nosotti back at kilometre 77. The four escapees held their margin but it was progressively decreasing. Pierfelici cracked at the end of the 11.5-kilometre sector five, Monte Sante Marie, kilometre 143.
Caccia, Chiarini and Kvachuk pushed on and held 1:05 at kilometre 151 over a group of 51 riders. Francesco Ginanni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli), Giovanni Visconti (ISD), Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) (all Tuscans), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream), Linus Gerdemann (Milram), Maurizio Biondo (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce), Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank) were the favourites of the chase.
Sectors and length: |
USA's Garmin pushed the tempo and it had the trio pinned at 42 seconds on the entry of sector six, 27 kilometres to race. Andriy Grivko (ISD) attacked and quickly picked up teammate Kvachuk, who had dropped off the front escape. Caccia and Chiarini held 15 seconds over the ISD duo and 30 seconds on the group with 25 kilometres to race.
Another USA team, Columbia, now led the charge. The team of Lövkvist absorbed the ISD riders and was 27 seconds behind Caccia and Chiarini by the end of the seventh sector, kilometre 172.8.
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Hesjedal, Bennati, Visconti and Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) joined the front duo and soon dropped them. They held 10 seconds on Elmiger, Lövkvist and Wegmann at with 10 kilometres remaining.
Roger Hammond, Daniel Lloyd (both Cervélo TestTeam), Oscar Gatto (ISD), Chiarini, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad), Serguei Ivanov (Katusha), Gerdemann and Peter Velits (both Milram) joined the front men to form a group of 15 at seven kilometres from Siena's Campo. Visconti immediately launched and remained free for one kilometre.
Gerdemann followed with a harder attack that lasted for five kilometres. Visconti, Bennati and Chiarini were most active in the chase of the German. Compatriot Wegmann attacked as the group split over the 16 percent rise on Via Santa Caterina. Gerdemann faded fast and Lövkvist surged ahead of Wegmann.
"That was a really strong team performance today," said Wegmann. "We were a little lucky there and then could use some tactics."
Lövkvist won after 4h59:02 of racing in Piazza del Campo, where the famous twice yearly horse races – Palio – run. He had four seconds advantage on Wegmann, six on Elmiger, eight on Boasson Hagen, 12 on Gerdemann and 14 on Visconti.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Sirotti/www.sirotti.it
- Thomas Lövkvist (Columbia-Highroad) the 3rd Eroica Toscana in Siena's Piazza del Campo.
- Podium (l-r): Fabian Wegmann (Milram), Thomas Lövkvist (Columbia-Highroad) and Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale).
- Thomas Lövkvist (Columbia-Highroad) won his first race in two years.
- Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream) and Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) lead the peloton over a climb on le strade bianche.
- Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) finished the Eroica Toscana in 11th place.
- Thomas Lövkvist (Columbia-Highroad) leads Giovanni Visconti (ISD) and Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) on le strade bianche.
- Riders and support vehicles kick up a cloud of dust on one of the day's eight sections of gravel roads.
- The peloton negotiates one of many climbs during the Eroica Toscana.
- The peloton amidst beautiful Tuscan scenery.
- Francesco Ginanni (Diquigiovanni - Androni) concentrates on choosing his line on le strade bianche.
- Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) suffered a cramp and was dropped from the lead group on the final climb.
- Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) tackles a climb on his way to an 8th place finish.
- Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream)
- Diego Caccia (Barloworld) in the escape with Luca Pierfelici (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), r-l.
- The day's early escape.
- Diego Caccia (Barloworld)
- Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream) and Daniele Bennati (Liquigas).
- Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream) leads a promising four man move.
- Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream) finishes Eroica Toscana.
- Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Slipstream)
- Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) did not race, but was at the start.
Results - 190km
1 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad 4.59.02 (38.12 km/h) 2 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram 0.04 3 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0.06 4 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.08 5 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 0.12 6 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD 0.14 7 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram 8 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0.16 9 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 0.19 10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 0.22 11 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas 0.29 12 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha 0.30 13 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo TestTeam 0.34 14 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 15 Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 0.50 16 Oscar Gatto (Ita) ISD 1.18 17 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 1.36 18 Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervelo TestTeam 19 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 20 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank 21 Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 22 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream 23 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia - Highroad 1.40 24 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - Highroad 1.41 25 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld 26 Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 27 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha 1.47 28 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) ISD 29 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 2.14 30 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld 31 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam 2.16 32 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) AG2R La Mondiale 2.22 33 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha 4.20 34 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 35 Michael Albasini (Swi) Team Columbia - Highroad 36 Dario David Cioni (Ita) ISD 4.33 37 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 5.43 38 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 39 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha 40 Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) ISD 41 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 42 William Frischkorn (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 43 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervelo TestTeam 44 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha 45 Maxim Belkov (Rus) ISD 46 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 6.00 47 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Garmin - Slipstream 48 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 49 Maurizio Biondo (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 50 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas 9.56 51 Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) ISD 52 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo TestTeam 53 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas 54 Luca Pierfelici (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 55 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank 12.27 56 Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam 57 Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 58 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 59 Jean Charles Senac (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 60 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 61 Michael Friedman (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 62 Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 63 Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre - N.G.C. 64 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Katusha 65 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld 66 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld 67 Luigi Sestili (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 13.57 68 Adriano Angeloni (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce 69 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 70 Fabio Negri (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 71 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 72 Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Alessandro Fantini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Aurélien Clerc (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale DNF Rene Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale DNF Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Barloworld DNF Marco Corti (Ita) Barloworld DNF Michele Merlo (Ita) Barloworld DNF Geraint Thomas (GBr) Barloworld DNF Alessandro Maserati (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce DNF Diego Nosotti (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce DNF Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce DNF Luca Celli (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Nazareno Rossi (Swi) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Luca Solari (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli DNF Hans Dekkers (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream DNF Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukr) ISD DNF Emanuale Bindi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. DNF Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. DNF Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. DNF Volodymyr Zagorodny (Ukr) Lampre - N.G.C. DNF Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas DNF Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas DNF Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas DNF Marco Cattaneo (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini DNF Giairo Ermeti (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini DNF Matteo Montaguti (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini DNF Roberto Ferrari (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini DNF Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad DNF Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad DNF Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram DNF Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram DNF Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram DNF Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram DNF Domenik Klemme (Ger) Team Saxo Bank DNF Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank DNS Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. DNS Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
