First Edition News for March 24, 2003Edited by Jeff Jones 94th Milan-San Remo: Post race commentsFor the first time since 1996, a breakaway succeeded on the Poggio, with Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon), Mirko Celestino (Saeco) and Luca Paolini (Quick.Step-Davitamon) holding off the Cipollini-led peloton by 11 seconds to win. It was an exciting finish to the first round of the World Cup, and the upcoming spring classics should prove to be great battles between Quick.Step and the rest of the peloton. Milan San Remo coverage Full results &
report Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 1st)
Milan-San Remo winner Paolo Bettini was delighted and relieved at seeing things fall into place at the end of the race. "For a long time I believed the break was going to make it to the finish," he said of the first break on the Cipressa. "But almost no-one felt like cooperating. When the group caught us, I thought for a minute that it was finished. On top of things Cipollini was unbelievably strong. I had no choice but to make the race as hard as possible and try to get away. I told myself 'I might lose today, but I'm going to give it everything I've got left.'" "I have always been told that this race wasn't one for me. It was Paolini who convinced me that I could win. Paolini himself was more than grand today," added Bettini. Luca Paolini and Davide Bramati had promised before the race that they would cycle back to Milan if Bettini won... Mirko Celestino (Saeco, 2nd)
An excellent ride by Mirko Celestino earned him a second place behind Bettini in La Primavera. Present in both the Cipressa and Poggio moves, Celestino showed that he had the strength on the day to finish on the podium. "I only needed to follow Bettini on the Poggio," he said. "Normally he is faster than me in the sprint, but you never know after 300 km. I believed in my chances, but am not disappointed. I finally rediscovered the energy I have been lacking over the previous years." Luca Paolini (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 3rd)
The team rider of the day, Paolini was as happy as his friend Bettini afterwards. "I've been anticipating this all winter," he said. Paolo and I trained a lot together and I made plenty of sacrifices. But it was worth the effort." "I'm feeling like I am the one who won today. Getting to the Poggio in a 60 or 70-strong group was a danger for us, we were well aware of that. I gave it all in the Poggio, and Paolo followed me. He was strong - he had just launched another attack. I pushed hard until the end, as I was sure he was so strong that he would win the sprint. And when I saw him crossing the line there was a release of a strong emotion in me. It's still there. That's really terrific." Frank Vandenbroucke (Quick.Step-Davitamon, 114th)Frank Vandenbroucke arrived on the Via Roma a while after teammate Bettini took the victory in the first World Cup of the season. He looked tired but took the time to explain how his day went to journalists. "I had to let go when they accelerated on the Cipressa. But I had felt already from the start of the race that I wasn't going to be able to play an important role in this Primavera," he said. "I had a complete off-day, one of those days with heavy legs on which one can feel that they will never be able to respond to a serious acceleration." Vandenbroucke continued, "Note that it is less painful to suffer a day like this when the team wins, because than it doesn't have any negative consequences. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have liked to contribute to this victory. Normally it was up to me and Richard [Virenque] to make the peloton explode, but I just wasn't capable of doing so today. I think that I have paid for the continuous efforts I made in Paris-Nice, during which I went very deep into my reserves. Those highs and lows are the most normal of things. I want to reassure my supporters: I have said, for a while already, that I will be present in the Northern classics, and I will keep word." Patrick Lefevere (Quick.Step-Davitamon DS)Quick.Step-Davitamon team director Patrick Lefevere was as happy as his rider Paolo Bettini after the race. It was Lefevere's first ever victory in La Primavera. "Ten years of waiting has finally been rewarded," he told Belgian TV. It was the first time that Lefevere's team chose to have only one leader for the day, Paolo Bettini. "Apparently that is the best method. The help came from Paolini, and not from Virenque nor Vandenbroucke, both of whom had a bad day. Bettini was supposed to go on the Cipressa, but he was accompanied by the wrong men. Luckily he was strong enough to attack on the Poggio." Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze, 4th)
On his 36th birthday and wearing the World Champion's rainbow jersey, Mario Cipollini failed by 11 seconds to win Milan-San Remo. He carried the pressure of being the number one favourite, and rode an excellent race, but was foiled by the strength of Bettini, Paolini and Celestino, who escaped on the Poggio. The winner of two stages in Tirreno-Adriatico last week, Cipollini was disappointed but in some ways satisfied with his race. "I demonstrated that I had good physical condition, always staying with the leaders on the Cipressa and the Poggio. I must congratulate the team for the optimal work they carried out in the race: Bennati and Ongarato, for example, made a big effort to bring back the break after the Cipressa. But Quick Step was super today. I can not be disappointed." "I prepared perfectly for this Milan-Sanremo," added Cipollini. "But I had too many riders to control. In the sprint I demonstrated I was the strongest. It's an important Sanremo for me, I have shown that at 36 years old, I can stay with the strongest. I am very happy for Bettini, as I have not forgotten what he did for me in the World Championships in Zolder. " Next up, Cipollini will ride the Tour of Flanders on April 6 and Gent Wevelgem on April 9. Vincenzo Santoni (Domina Vacanze DS)Domina Vacanze team director Vincenzo Santoni was denied the pleasure of seeing Mario Cipollini win Milan-San Remo in the rainbow jersey, but he remains calm and positive about the race. "Cycling is like that, Bettini was not strong when he went, he was the strongest," said Santoni. "It seems to me that the sprint demonstrated that if the race had ended in a bunch sprint, Mario would have calmly won again. He was very strong also, but the fall of Derganc really penalised us. We would have had an extra man in the finale, and not have had to sacrifice Ongarato: perhaps this made the difference." "Mario was good, no doubt about it, not to take away from the victory of Bettini, who won a very beautiful Sanremo. What counts is that Cipollini demonstrated that he is still able to win," concluded Santoni. Walter Godefroot (Telekom manager)Erik Zabel's team manager Walter Godefroot paid tribute to Paolo Bettini. "He is without doubt the best Classic Rider of the moment. We should be happy enough with the results. Zabel finished sixth and Alexander Vinokourov showed himself nicely on the Cipressa." Oscar Freire (Rabobank, 7th)
Part of the Cipressa break with Bettini, Vinokourov, Celestino and Rebellin, Freire eventually made it home to finish 7th, his worst ever placing in Milan-San Remo. However, he was not too disappointed. "It does not give me as much anger to lose this way," he said. "I tried to go on the Cipressa, but that climb seemed to have no end. Immediately I saw that Bettini, who bridged up quickly, was feared by the others. Vinokourov did not go too deep and Bettini must have noticed that this wasn't the right break." Danilo Di Luca (Saeco, 80th)
"When Bettini went the first time, I noticed that Cipollini had absolutely no trouble to follow the higher tempo. Don't go in the attack I thought, it's better to wait a bit longer." "No, I don't think I made a mistake by attacking on one of the first slopes of the Poggio. It was too bad for me (on the Poggio) since I had a strong headwind all the way up. On the Poggio my power just got blown out of my legs. When I was caught, I simply had nothing left to stay. But I feel good for the team and good for Celestino. I am happy for Bettini because he deserved to win." Derganc improvingSlovenian rider Martin Derganc, who crashed hard with 45 km to go in Milan San Remo yesterday, is recovering in Imperia hospital. The Domina Vacanze rider, who is an important part of Cipollini's train, suffered a cranial trauma with concussion, a fractured collarbone and contusions to various parts of his body. He will have to remain in hospital for another day, but may be able to return home to Novo Mesto on Monday. Nijs doesn't want to be a roadieBelgian cyclo-cross champion Sven Nijs (Rabobank) says that he will never become a full time road rider. Despite trying to ride a fairly serious road program for the last few years, 26 year old Nijs remains a lover of cyclo-cross, and will continue using the road to gain form for that discipline. "It's not that I'm sick of my road bike at the moment," he said in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. "On the contrary. Immediately after the last 'cross race in Oostmalle I thought about throwing in the towel for the classic season. After Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne the balance began to shift again to the correct side and now I'm entirely certain: I feel so good that I will continue to race right up to and including Paris-Roubaix." However Nijs realised during this period that his future lies in cyclo-cross racing. "I don't see why I must give up my cyclo-cross career for something as uncertain as a road racer. No, just give me a combination of the two, and that also means that you'll find me on the open road only in March and April." Veenendaal-Veenendaal in dangerThe Dutch professional race Veenendaal-Veenendaal, scheduled for April 24, is in danger of being cancelled this year. The organisers are suffering from budget problems, and have not contracted any riders to start. The final decision will be made tomorrow (Monday). Graeme Brown onlineAustralian cyclist Graeme Brown has unleashed his website on the world, appropriately entitled www.GraemeBrown.com. The Panaria sprinter started life as a BMX racer before moving onto the track, winning the World Junior Championship in the teams pursuit in 1997. Since then he has maintained his focus on the track while developing into a road sprinter, notably winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the teams pursuit in 2002, breaking the world record in the process. On the road, he has already collected five victories since turning pro in 2002, as well as several more as an U23 rider. His site contains a regularly updated race schedule and results, photo gallery, diary, profile, and more. Check it out now and in future: www.GraemeBrown.com Last chance for 4 Wheels 4 Sean auctionToday is the last chance left to bid in an online auction of cycling collectibles for Australian charity 4 Wheels 4 Sean. Bidding for the following items ends on 24 March at 7:00PM Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time:
To bid click here. 4 Wheels 4 Sean raises money to assist Australians in need because of a severe disability acquired whilst cycling, and since October 2001 has raised more than $46,000. More information on Sean's accident can be found here.
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