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96th Milan - San Remo - PT
Italy, March 19, 2005
Petacchi magnificent in 96th Milano-Sanremo win
Monumental victory for career consecration
By Tim Maloney, European Editor
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With a roar of raw emotion that was heard in his hometown of La Spezia 200km down the Italian coast, Alessandro Petacchi won Milano-Sanremo in a thrilling, emotional finale. In one of the best Milano-Sanremos in years, Ale-Jet put on the afterburners on via Roma today with a magnificent sprint of power and audacity, the most important sprint of his life to win La Classicissima di Primavera.
"That was everything, really everything for me," an emotional Petacchi said of his primal yell after gaining his first-ever classic win. "My victory today was the best moment of my career and it was also a liberation for me...today the race lasted seven hours, but it was a lot more for me. Last night I think I dreamed of all the corners on the descent of the Poggio...I didn't sleep that well because I was nervous about the race. But that feeling gives you what you need to win. Today I showed I could do it."
For the last three seasons, Petacchi has been looking for a breakthrough classics win; the word was that he could win any field sprints, but couldn't take the pressure or didn't have the legs to win a classic. At this year's Fassa Bortolo team presentation, his team boss Giancarlo Ferretti said that "Petacchi can win a classic and he will." Today the 31 year-old showed he has taken his form and confidence to another level with one of the best race winning sprints in years to triumph in Sanremo.
Over the winter, Petacchi lost 3 kg, gave up his usual vacation and prepared for the season under the tutelage of his preparatore Dr. Cecchini with new focus and desire. Despite his extensive wins over the last few seasons and 11 wins so far in 2005 before Sanremo, the speedster from La Spezia came into this season. with a chip on his shoulder. After Milano-Sanremo today, a defiant Petacchi said "After what I've done today, I've closed the mouths of people who said I couldn't win after a long distance or take the pressure in the big races."
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Petacchi is now the 49th Italian to win in Sanremo, but with one kilometre to go, everything was up in the air in La Classicissima di Primavera. Today's sprint was not your normal charge to the line. As the front group of 50 riders came sweeping from Corso Raimondi onto via Roma with 350m to go, Paolo Bettini was leading and saw that Petacchi was on his wheel. Bettini swept left almost next to the barriers, perhaps to distract Petacchi, or to help his teammate Boonen get a better position. And it almost worked. Petacchi seemed to hesitate for an instant - he explained that, "In the finale, it was kind of dangerous when I was on Bettini's wheel, but I just wanted to win."
He is not a lead-out sprinter but one that has an irresistible progression to the finish line. At that point, the Fassa man almost got swarmed on his right, but suddenly he leaned over his handlebars and literally leaped for the finish line with an incredible jump, gapping the riders behind and blowing the best sprinters in the world away. "This morning, I told Ferretti and my direttore sportivo Alberto Volpi that I was going win today," explained Petacchi. "I felt strong on the Turchino and on Cipressa, I knew I was having a great day today."
La Classicissima di Primavera is a hard race to predict. With almost 300km distance, it's a strange race that's very difficult to interpret tactically. Today's edition was a muscle flexing exercise between the super strong teams fielded by Petacchi's Fassa Bortolo squad and World Champion and defending Sanremo winner Oscar Freire's Rabobank team.
Post-race, Gianni Bugno, who won Milano-Sanremo 15 years ago commented, "Petacchi won per the predictions, but the race today was also won by his (Fassa Bortolo) team, not just Petacchi. All the riders did a great job for him and Alessandro showed that he is really the best sprinter; he really has no rivals."
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Two bike lengths behind Petacchi was German sprinter Danilo Hondo (Gerolsteiner), who is having his best season ever, Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) who earned his best-ever result in one of the five monuments of cycling. Stuart O'Grady had a good ride for fourth and his Cofidis squad was strong today, while World Champ and ProTour leader Oscar Freire (Rabobank) may have been jinxed, as the new ProTour rules forced the Spanish sprinter to leave his rainbow striped jersey in his suitcase today. Big boy Tom Boonen (Quick.Step) seemed to get lost in the sauce today and only finished 8th, while Mario Cipollini looked good all day, but finished well out of the money in what ended up as his last Classicissima.
"This will be my last time I'll see via Roma as a racer," said an eloquent Mario Cipollini post-race today after his 17th participation in La Primavera. "The race was positive for me today and I'm happy how it went, said the soon to be 38 year-old Cipollini. "But when we got to the finale, it was impossible to beat Petacchi, because Fassa Bortolo did a really great job. I managed to get Petacchi's wheel, but in the last 300 metres, Zabel got in there and my chance went up in smoke. Today's win is the consecration of Petacchi."
USPRO Champ Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto), runner-up to Cipo on via Roma three years ago, yo-yo'ed off the back on the Cipressa and Poggio in the last 30km and finally finished out of the game. "I crashed in Paris-Nice, and I still haven't recovered from that," he told Cyclingnews. "My left leg's not working - I've been getting therapy, but it's [the leg] not recovering. I felt it in the last 30k, when you have to put out full gas; I don't have 100 percent yet."
How it unfolded
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On a warm Saturday morning, the 96th edition of Milano-Sanremo, La Classicissima di Primavera, left Milano's Piazza Sant'Ambrogio at 9:35. Two big names, McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) and Hincapie (Discovery Channel) as well as Ivan Fanelli (LPR) didn't start today because both riders had been hit by the influenza that's decimated the peloton this spring. Armstrong, Ullrich, Cunego and Simoni sat out, Cipo was there for the 17th time, a record that equalled that of his fellow Tuscan Gino Bartali.
After a fast, nervous start on the flat roads leading out of Milano, there was a series of attacks that finally led to the right break. Amid the rice paddies south of Pavia near the S.Martino Siccomario after 32km, five riders were able to escape from the peloton: chunky sprinter Jimmy "Ghost" Casper (Cofidis), Iñaki Isasi Flores (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Daniele Righi (Lampre-Caffita), twenty year old Mauro Santambrogio (LPR) and Filippo Simeoni (Naturino). The first hour of Milano-Sanremo was raced at 42.785 km/h average. After 50 km in Casteggio, the lead quintet had a 4'20 over a two Tony chasing group of Antonio Bucciero (Acqua&Sapone) and Antonio Salomone (Barloworld-Valsir), with the gruppo at 6'15. In the next five kilometres, the gruppo sat up and gained another five minutes to increase their lead to 11'15 in Voghera.
By Tortona after 72km, the race situation was that the two Tonys were chasing at 5'40, while the gruppo was rolling along at 17'40, with the average pace of 40.6 km/h. The quintet then climbed to the highest point of Milano-Sanremo, the Turchino Pass (532m) after 135km of racing, where the break had 13'05 on the two Tonys Bucciero and Salomone and 15'05 on the gruppo. Then it was the long descent to the Ligurian coast, where the weather turned out to be other than expected. Instead of the warm and sunny conditions on the north side of the mountains, it was cool and mixed overcast, with a west headwind that slowed the breaks.
Once they hit the via Aurelia along the coast, the sprinter squads upped the pace, absorbed the two Tony break and began to close down on the five fugitives. There were huge crowds spectating along the coast road and after 209km of racing in Finale Ligure, with 94km to go, the break had 7'30 with Rabobank, Fassa Bortolo and Liberty Seguros riding tempo.
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At the second feed zone in Ceriale 24km later, the break had less than two minutes and the chasers had them in sight. Tafi (Saunier Duval-Prodir) attacked solo to try and bridge across to the break on Capo Mele. But Fassa upped the pace with Ongarato hammering on the front. The break had less then a minute lead, with Tafi in between as the race flashed through Andorra Marina, the hometown of Mirko Celestino and little shoreside village was adorned with celeste blue bunting and balloons to celebrate Mirko's 31st birthday today, 19 March 1974, San Giuseppe, the same day Felice Gimondi won Milano-Sanremo.
It was gruppo compatto with 50km to race, when CSC's Andrea Peron crashed and abandoned the race. Before Capo Cervo, the easiest of i tre capi, Cofidis came to the front for O'Grady and took up the tempo from Fassa Bortolo. Next up, Cofidis then sent Vasseur to the front on Capo Berta to hammer hard, when an attack by Naturino's other talented youngster, 20 year-old Valerio Agnoli got away solo. But then the orange jerseys of Ceramica Panaria-Navigare hit the front, upped the pace even more and sucked the kid up by the summit of Capo Berta with 40km to go.
Down the other side of Capo Berta and into the narrow streets of Onelia, there was a big crash with 33km to race that took out Italian champ Moreni, Discovery's Hoste, T-Mobile's Schreck, Francaise des Jeux's Eisel and Liquigas's Milesi. This split the gruppo in two and Naturino's leader Marinangeli was caught in a second group of 30 that was chasing at 40. Up front, Rabobank was pounding away on the front as the day's penultimate climb, the 5.6km Costa Rainera, also called the Cipressa, which begins in S.Lorenzo a Mare, hit with 30km to go to Sanremo. As the team cars came from behind the crash to the front group, Simone Masciarelli (Acqua&Sapone) and others desperately tried to get across the gap.
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As the first slopes of the Cipressa began, Fassa had positioned Kirchen on the front as a stopper to quash any attacks. Panaria had been telegraphing a move for several kilometres and sure enough, Luca Mazzanti went hard and got a gap, but it didn't go anywhere as the sprinters teams' tempo was just too strong.
After 3km of the Cipressa, Francesco Casagrande (Naturino) attacked hard, was caught, and then Panaria's Tiralongo made a move and Casagrande went with him. But once again, it was nothin' doin' and after 3.5km of the ascent, it was gruppo compatto again. Another Panaria rider went, this time Lele Sella, but he left his move too late. At the summit of the Cipressa, everyone was still together and the ascent had been climbed in 9'30, a record time.
On the tricky, twisting descent of the Cipressa back down to the via Aurelia coast road, Mirko Celestino (Domina Vacanze) made a move with 22km to go, but once again, the Silver Train of Fassa Bortolo was right on him. At that point, Bettini and Rebellin had also made it to the front to the race, while Fred Rodriguez was having trouble on the tough Cipressa descent. The USPRO champ was dropped out of the front group, but then chased hard to get back with some Rabobank and Quick.Step chasers.
Once back on the coast road after the Cipressa, there were 10km to the foot of the day's final ascent, il Poggio. Bettini then hit the front and upped the pace, getting a gap that would make Fassa Bortolo chase hard and help his teammate Boonen. But Petacchi, Freire, Cipo, Boonen, Hondo Hushovd and O'Grady were all still there, so Fassa and Rabobank were powering away on the front.
With 18km to go in S.Lorenzo a Mare, Kashechkin (Credit Agricole) made it across to Bettini and this duo quickly got 15 seconds. In olive oil center Arma di Taggia, the front duo had gained more time and had 30 as only Fassa Bortolo were chasing. As the lead then hit half a minute, Rabobank's Boven and Den Bakker joined the chase behind, but the Olympic champion and his former teammate Kashechkin were working well together.
The gap between the break and the chase at the base of Poggio was 15 seconds and the table was set for yet another nail-biting, tension fraught Milano-Sanremo finale. Bettini and Kashechkin knew the jig was up, but they just didn't know when. After a kilometre of the Poggio, Vicioso (Liberty Seguros) attacked and blasted past the front duo.
Behind the Spaniard, the gruppo was stretched out in one long multicolored ribbon in pursuit and behind him, multiple attacks by Tiralongo (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) and Vinokourov (T-Mobile) brought him back. Halfway up the Poggio, the stage was set for the most dangerous attack of the 96th Milano-Sanremo. Pellizotti (Liquigas) countered Vino, then Rebellin made a powerful surge. The Gerolsteiner man went to the front for a rare attack and his move carried Pellizotti and chasers Celestino, Kirchen and Merckx clear.
At the top of the Poggio, climbed at a pace of 6'10, the lead five had a 0'06 advantage over the strung-out gruppo led by Alejandro Valverde (Illes Baleares), who got across to the front group in the first kilometre. Daring descender Celestino bombed the sinuous ribbon back down to Sanremo, but with Kirchen playing stopper, the break was absorbed with 2km.
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Fassa Bortolo had some trouble getting organized after the descent but with 1.5km to go, Fabio Sacchi came up to Petacchi to give him a good wheel to ride on. At the 1km mark, Laurent "Broche" Brochard (Bouygues) tried a solo move but he was pulled back with 600m to go. Petacchi got on Bettini's wheel and when the riders hit the finishing straight, the Quick.Step rider zigged, Petacchi hurled himself up the left side of the road with 250m to go and halfway home, he was two bike lengths clear of runner-up Hondo. Petacchi's sprint was so strong he could turn around twice in the last 100m to look back at the vanquished field and with 25m to go, the speedster from La Spezia threw his arms in the air, yelled at the top of his lungs and won his first ever classics victory today in Milano-Sanremo.
Photography
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
Results - 294 km
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 7.11.39 (40.866 km/h)
2 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Gerolsteiner
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
4 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
6 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française Des Jeux
7 Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
8 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
9 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
10 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
11 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
12 Josu Silloniz Aresti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
13 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
14 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team
15 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
16 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Davitamon-Lotto
17 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze
18 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team
19 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems
20 Angel Edo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
21 Roger Hammond (GBr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
22 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
23 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC
24 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
25 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
26 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team CSC
27 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
28 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
29 Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
30 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
31 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
32 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
33 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
34 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team
35 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team
36 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
37 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
38 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
39 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
40 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 0.05
41 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 0.06
42 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 0.07
43 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.09
44 Marco Velo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
45 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole
46 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Phonak Hearing Systems
47 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
48 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Davitamon-Lotto
49 Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile Team
50 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Credit Agricole
51 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
52 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 0.12
53 David Herrero Llorente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.38
54 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank
55 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step
56 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux
57 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
58 Francisco J. Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
59 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 1.05
60 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
61 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
62 Rolf Aldag (Ger) T-Mobile Team
63 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
64 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
65 Bradley Mcgee (Aus) Française Des Jeux
66 Guido Trenti (USA) Quick Step
67 Joerg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
68 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Team CSC
69 Mario Aerts (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 2.29
70 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas-Bianchi
71 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
72 Elio Aggiano (Ita) Team L.P.R.
73 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 4.15
74 Joerg Ludewig (Ger) Domina Vacanze
75 Grégory Rast (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
76 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
77 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
78 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
79 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
80 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
81 Bo Hamburger (Den) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
82 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
83 Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
84 Matthew White (Aus) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
85 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
86 Luca Ascani (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
87 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Credit Agricole 7.13
88 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Credit Agricole
89 Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
90 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
91 Baden Cooke (Aus) Française Des Jeux
92 Guillermo Ruben Bongiorno (Arg) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
93 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
94 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Française Des Jeux
95 Nico Mattan (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
96 Julian Dean (NZl) Credit Agricole
97 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Domina Vacanze
98 Mirko Allegrini (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
99 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
100 Alessandro Cortinovis (Ita) Domina Vacanze
101 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems
102 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
103 Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
104 Franck Renier (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
105 Dario Andriotto (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
106 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
107 Marcus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
108 Inigo Landaluze Intxaurraga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
109 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner
110 Daniele Contrini (Ita) Team L.P.R.
111 Jure Golcer (Slo) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
112 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
113 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank
114 René Haselbacher (Aut) Gerolsteiner
115 Dmitri Konyshev (Rus) Team L.P.R.
116 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 10.28
117 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
118 Sergio Marinangeli (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
119 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC
120 Constantin Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
121 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Française Des Jeux
122 Alessio Galletti (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
123 Davide Bramati (Ita) Quick Step
124 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team 12.30
125 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
126 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 13.40
127 Mikel Pradera Rodriguez (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
128 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
129 Pedro Arreitunandia (Spa) Team Barloworld-Valsir
130 Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
131 Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
132 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank
133 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
134 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
135 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
136 David George (RSA) Team Barloworld-Valsir
137 Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
138 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
139 Ivan Ravaioli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
140 Maryan Hary (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
141 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
142 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
143 Daniele De Paoli (Ita) Team L.P.R.
144 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
145 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Domina Vacanze 18.00
146 Eddy Serri (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
147 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
148 Giosuè Bonomi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
149 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile Team
150 Ruslan Ivanov (Mda) Domina Vacanze
151 Michele Gobbi (Ita) Domina Vacanze
152 Antonio Bucciero (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
153 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Française Des Jeux
154 Mikhaylo Khalilov (Ukr) Team L.P.R.
155 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
156 Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
157 Roberto Laiseka Jaio (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
158 Jose Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
159 Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
160 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
161 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
162 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Quick Step
163 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
164 Jans Koerts (Ned) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
165 Sergio Miguel M. Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
DNF Gerben Löwik (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Ukr) Acqua & Sapone-Adria Mobil
DNF Enrico Degano (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
DNF Antonio Salomone (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
DNF Giulio Tomi (Ita) Team Barloworld-Valsir
DNF Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Jérome Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
DNF Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
DNF Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Credit Agricole
DNF Leif Hoste (Bel) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
DNF Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
DNF Serhiy Honchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze
DNF Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Française Des Jeux
DNF Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
DNF Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne
DNF Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
DNF Aaron Kemps (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
DNF Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi
DNF Marco Milesi (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
DNF Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Team L.P.R.
DNF Filippo Simeoni (Ita) Naturino-Sapore di Mare
DNF Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
DNF Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak Hearing Systems
DNF Cristian Moreni (Ita) Quick Step
DNF Andrea Tafi (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
DNF Andrea Peron (Ita) Team CSC
DNF Allan Johansen (Den) Team CSC
DNF Stephan Schreck (Ger) T-Mobile Team
DNS Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
DNS George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
DNS Ivan Fanelli (Ita) Team L.P.R.
