80th Tre Valle Varesine - 1.1

Italy, August 16, 2000

1999 Results    Past Winners

Donati in his biggest win

Vini Caldirola's Massimo Donati achieved probably his biggest career win to date by taking out the 80th Tre Valle Varesine. The 33 year old has often done well in the second half of the season, but he had only 12 wins before today. In the 35 degree heat and on the exceptionally steep climbs, Donati was too good for Liquigas' Davide Rebellin, who is still looking for that elusive big win this year (he came second last year in this race as well). Donati was in good company apart from Rebellin: Daniele De Paoli, Jan Ullrich and Ivan Gotti were all part of the final five man break. Meanwhile, riders like Casagrande, Bartoli, Bettini and Di Luca all abandoned, as did a total of 147 of the 185 starters. There is plenty of racing to come for these riders, with the Coppa Agostoni and Coppa Bernocchi tomorrow and Saturday, and the Championship of Zürich on Sunday.

The race deciding move came with 55 kilometres to go where Ullrich, Gotti, Rebellin, De Paoli, Donati, G. Valoti, Massi, and Basso formed an eight rider break. They had the steep climb of the Viconago (comparable to the Mur de Huy) to overcome before the finish, and this took care of Valoti, Basso, and Massi, while Gotti and De Paoli also struggled. They couldn't get rid of Ullrich though, as the German is in good form after the Tour. Rebellin tried to attack, but Ullrich countered so Donati took advantage of this with 5 kilometres to go, to win in similar fashion as he did the Coppa Agostoni last year.

Donati's win came after his second place in the GP Camiaiore last month and his 7th in the Trofeo Matteotti, both highly prestigious Italian semi-classics with long histories. Normally a worker for others, Donati was satisfied with his 13th career victory, but will continue his role supporting riders like Casagrande until the season finishes.

Results

1. Massimo Donati (Ita) Vini Caldirola                5.05.50 (40.061 km/h) 
2. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Liquigas-Pata                   0.25 
3. Daniele De Paoli (Ita) Mercatone Uno                 
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom
5. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Team Polti                           0.33
6. Ivan Basso (Ita) Amica Chips                          4.15 
7. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Team Colpack
8. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain
9. Massimo Cigana (Ita) Mercatone Uno                    6.03
10. Mario Andriotto (Ita) Alexia Allumino                6.10
11. Cristian Gasperoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain	 6.22
12. Fausto Dotti (Ita) Liquigas-Pata
13. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2r Prévoyance-Décathlon
14. Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
15. Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
16. Oscar Mason (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Albacom
17. Davide Scalmana (Ita) Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport	 7.32
18. Graziano Recinella (Ita) Mobilvetta Design-Rossin
19. Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
20. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti				11.25
21. Jörg Ludewig (Ger) Saeco-Valli&Valli
22. Kurt Van de Wouver (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
23. Denis Zanette (Ita) Liquigas-Pata
24. Uros Murn (Slo) KRKA-Telekom Slovenije
25. Andrea Peron (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
26. Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
27. Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre-Daikin
28. Alain Turicchia (Ita) Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport
29. Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain
30. Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo
31. Auriemma (Ita)
32. Andre Noé (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
33. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step
34. Oscar Pellicioli (Ita) Polti
35. Vitali Kokorine (Rus) Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport
36. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Polti
37. Fabio Bulgarelli (Ita) Colpack
38. Fabio Malberti (Ita) Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport

Starters: 185
Finishers: 38

Past Winners

1919 Piero Bestetti (Ita)
1920 R. Rosa (Ita)
1921 Adriano Zamaga (Ita)
1922 Domenico Pieomontesi (Ita)
1923 F. Brusatori (Ita)
1924 Libero Ferrario (Ita)
1925 Giovanni Tizzoni (Ita)
1926 Mario Bonvicini (Ita)
1927 Renato Zanone (Ita)
1928 Battista Visconti (Ita)
1929 Ambrogio Morelli (Ita)
1930 Albino Binda (Ita)
1931 Luigi Giacobe (Ita)
1932 Domenico Piomontesi (Ita)
1933 Alfredo Bovet (Ita)
1934 Severino Canavesi (Ita)
1935 Piero Chiappini (Ita)
1936 Cesare Del Cancia (Ita)
1937 Olimpio Bizzi (Ita)
1938 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1939 Olimpio Bizzi (Ita)
1940 Cino Cinelli (Ita)
1941 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1942 Luciano Succi (Ita)
1945 Adolfo Leoni (Ita)
1946 Enrico Mollo (Ita)
1947 Fiorenzo Magni (Ita)
1948 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1949 Nedo Logli (Ita)
1950 Antoni Bevilacqua (Ita)
1951 Guido De Santi (Ita)
1952 Giuseppe Minardi (Ita)
1953 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1954 Giorgio Albani (Ita)
1955 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1956 Gastone Nencini (Ita)
1957 Germain Derijcke (Bel)
1958 Carlo Nicolo (Ita)
1959 Dino Bruni (Ita)
1960 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1961 Willy Vannitsen (Bel)
1962 Giuseppe Ferrardi (Ita)
1963 Italo Zilioli (Ita)
1964 Marino Vigna (Ita)
1965 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1966 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1967 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1968 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1969 Marino Basso (Ita)
1970 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1971 Giancarlo Polidori (Ita)
1972 Giacinto Santambroggio (Ita)
1973 Enrico Paolini (Ita)
1974 Costante Conti (Ita)
1975 Fabrizio Fabbri (Ita)
1976 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1977 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1978 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1979 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1980 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1981 Gregor Braun (Ger)
1982 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita)
1983 Alessandro Paganessi (Ita)
1984 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita)
1985 Giovanni Mantovani (Ita)
1986 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1987 Franco Ballerini (Ita)
1988 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1989 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1990 Pascal Richard (Swi)
1991 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1992 Massimo Ghirotto (Ita)
1993 Massimo Ghirotto (Ita)
1994 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita)
1995 Roberto Caruso (Ita)
1996 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita)
1997 Roberto Caruso (Ita)
1998 Davide Rebellin (Ita)

1999 Sergio Barbero (Ita)

Past winners are from Mario Stiehl, Berlin