62nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni - 1.1

Italy, August 20, 2008

2007 Results Results Past winners

Gerdemann claims Agostoni victory

Linus Gerdemann (Columbia) moments before hitting the line and taking a great win
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini

German Linus Gerdemann claimed victory at Italy's 62nd Coppa Ugo Agostoni after the Team Columbia rider out-sprinted his break-away rivals. Gerdemann's victory shows the rider is continuing to re-build his form after a Tirreno-Adriatico crash that left him with a broken femur and knee ligament damage.

Gerdemann out paced Italian Leonardo Bertagnolli (Liquigas) and Austrian Christian Pfannberger (Barloword) in the final sprint to claim the race win. Italian Francesco Reda (NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte) won the sprint for fourth place out of a slightly larger bunch as the 37 finishers flowed across the line.

"Linus was really unlucky in the Tre Valli race, but made up for it with a perfect ride in the Coppa Agostoni," Team Columbia sports director Valerio Piva said. "The team protected and looked after him during most of the race and then he attack on a key climb with 20kms to go. The race came back together but Linus, Bertagnolli and Pfannberger got away again and then Linus was the best in the sprint."

The 25 year-old was in contention for Monday's Tre Valli Varesine but a front wheel punctured two kilometres from the finish ruined his chances. Determined to make up for the misfortune, Gerdemann broke away 12 kilometres from the finish with Bertagnolli and Pfannberger.

Trittico Lombardo

Tre Valli Varesine - August 19
Coppa Agostoni - August 20
Coppa Bernocchi - August 21

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) signs autographs before the start.
The team Flaminia-Bossini Docce on the podium before the start.
Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) gets his helmet ready
Michele Gaia of Barloworld looks a bit skeptical before the start.
Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli, left) and Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) roll to the start.
Filippo Simeoni (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) is the current Italian National Champion.
Linus Gerdemann (Columbia) moments before hitting the line and winning the race.
Gerdemann gets it but just about.
Leonardo Bertagnolli (Liquigas) swerved and that may well have cost him the victory.
Gerdemann right after the finish when the effort of the race clearly showed in his face.
Gerdemann shows his trophy
Gerdemann celebrates a good return to racing after being out with injuries sustained in March.
Gerdemann all smiles with flowers and girls.
Flowers for Gerdemann, girl for runner-up Bertagnolli and Pfannberger in third got both.
Giuseppe Martinelli, will be the sports director of Nippo in the coming season.

Results

1 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Columbia                                          4.27.20 (42,419 km/h)
2 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Liquigas
3 Christian Pfannberger (Aut) Barloword
4 Francesco Reda (Ita) NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte                       0.08
5 Daniele Callegarin (Ita) Centri della Calzatura-Partizan
6 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
7 Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) LPR Brakes-Ballan
8 Massimiliano Maisto (Ita) NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte
9 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Miche-Silver Cross
10 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo
11 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare
12 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce
13 Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce
14 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone Caffè Mokambo                     1.58
15 Manuele Spadi (Ita) Cinelli - OPD                                         2.55
16 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Quick Step
17 Luca Pierfelici (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
18 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Liquigas
19 Devis Miorin (Ita) Nippo - Endeka
20 Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Team Volksbank
21 Alessandro Bertuola (Ita) Preti Mangimi
22 Volodymyr Zagorodny (Ukr) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte
23 Pasquale Muto (Ita) Miche - Silvercross
24 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
25 Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
26 Santo Anzà (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
27 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes-Ballan
28 Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld
29 Bruno Rizzi (Ita) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte
30 Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli     3.15
31 Przemyslaw Niemec (Pol) Miche - Silvercross                               4.32
32 Romans Sinicinas (Ltu) Cinelli - OPD
33 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Elk Haus - Simplon
34 Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramica Flaminia Bossini Doce
35 Martin Mares (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author
36 Olegs Melehs (Lat) Dynatek Latvia
37 Leonardo Moser (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli

Past winners

2007 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni- Selle Italia
2006 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Selle Italia
2005 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze
2004 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Saeco
2003 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Lampre
2002 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC-Tiscali
2001 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
2000 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom
1999 Massimo Donati (Ita) Vini Caldirola
1998 Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi
1997 Massimo Apollomio (Ita)
1996 Filippo Casagrande (Ita)
1995 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1994 Oscar Pelliccioli (Ita)
1993 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1992 Stefano Colage (Ita)
1991 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1990 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1989 Dimitri Konychev (Rus)
1988 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1987 Bruno Leali (Ita)
1986 Marino Amadori (Ita)
1985 Acacio Da Silva (Por)
1984 Franco Chioccioli (Ita)
1983 Alfons De Wolf (Bel)
1982 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1981 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1980 Cees Priem (Ned)
1979 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita)
1978 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1977 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1976 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1975 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1974 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1973 Arnoldo Caverzasi (Ita)
1972 Mauro Simonetti (Ita)
1971 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1970 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1969 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1968 Giovanni Micheletto (Ita)
1967 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1966 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1965 Tommso De Pra (Ita)
1964 Italo Zilioli (Ita)
1963 Jaime Alomar (Spa)
1961 Giovanni Bettinelli (Ita)
1960 Pietro Chiodini (Ita)
1959 Michele Gismondi (Ita)
1958 Giaccobe Boggian (Ita)
1957 Carlo Zorzoli (Ita)
1956 Silvano Tessari (Ita)
1955 Lino Pizzoferato (Ita)
1954 Aldo Moser (Ita)
1953 Andrea Barro (Ita)
1952 Ezio Bicocca (Ita)
1951 Renzo Accordi (Ita)
1950 Giorgio Albani (Ita)
1949 Antonio Ausenda (Ita)
1948 Luigi Malabrocca (Ita)
1947 Franco Fanti (Ita)
1946 Luigi Casola (Ita)


Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com