91st Giro dell'Emilia - 1.HC

Italy, October 11, 2008

2007 Results Results Past winners

Di Luca ends season with Emilia win

By Gregor Brown

Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes), 32, wins his last race of the season – 91st Giro dell'Emilia
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini

Italy's Danilo Di Luca, 32, ended his season on a high note with victory in today's Giro dell'Emilia. The LPR Brakes captain dominated the final charge up to San Luca's Santuario della Madonna in Bologna to finish ahead of Italy's Davide Rebellin of Team Gerolsteiner and Russia's Alexandr Kolobnev of Team CSC-Saxo Bank.

The race in Northeast Italy consisted of 198.8 kilometres from Fiorano Modenese to Bologna. The finale included the climb up to San Luca – 198 metres of climbing with a maximum gradient of 18 percent. It was covered five times, with the fifth being the finish line and the end of four circuits of 2.2 kilometres.

An escape animated the early hours of the race. Three riders – Laurent Didier (CSC-Saxo Bank), Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) and Federico Canuti (CSF Group Navigare) – went clear of the peloton at kilometre 51. They had a maximum advantage of 9:22 by kilometre 74 in Crespellano.

The trio fell part on the GPM of Monzuno with the loss of Luxemburger Didier. The remaining duo made it over the Loiano GPM, but a chase group captured it on the third of the closing circuits – kilometre 180.

The heat was on with a counter-move that included Di Luca, Rebellin, Kolobnev, Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Stefano Garzelli (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner), Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale), Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step), Matthew Lloyd (Silence-Lotto), Francesco Failli (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) and Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto).

Visconti and Nocentini were most active in the closing kilometres before Di Luca struck. He timed his attack for the base of the final ascent of San Luca with 2000 metres remaining. Rebellin, the 2006 winner and recent protagonist in the World Championships, was the first to react to 'The Killer' as the climb took its toll.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

Michael Rasmussen, r, pays a visit to the start of the Giro dell'Emilia.
Italian Champion Filippo Simeoni (Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)
Team Tinkoff Credit Systems ready to start.
Grischa Niermann (Rabobank) checks his tyre pressure.
Patrice Piemontesi (NGC) enjoys the company.
Marco Marzano (Lampre)
Rolling out for the start of the Giro dell'Emilia.
The start of the Giro dell'Emilia.
Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) riding in the race.
Italian Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes), 32, wins the Giro dell'Emilia, in Bologna.
Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) – 'The Killer' – wins the Giro dell'Emilia.
Italy's Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) tops the podium with Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Alexandr Kolobnev (CSC-Saxo Bank), l & r.
Danilo Di Luca powers ahead coming into the closing kilometres of the race
I can't hear you... says Danilo Di Luca as he celebrates the win
The field makes its way up the climb
Christian Pfannberger (Barloworld) sits at the rear of the field
Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre) gives it a shove up the climb
Matthew Lloyd (Silence-Lotto) looking comfortable at the pointy end of the field

Results - 198.8km

1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes                                       5.00.19 (39.718km/h)
2 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                                       0.02
3 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) CSC-Saxo Bank                                        
4 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto                                            
5 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce                       
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto                                          0.05
7 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli       
8 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo                   0.16
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank                                             0.19
10 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale                                    
11 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana                                            0.30
12 Mauro Finetto (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                                      
13 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre                                                 
14 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo                           
15 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner                                         0.33
16 Josep Jufré (Spa) Scott-American Beef                                       
17 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo                     0.46
18 Luigi Sestili (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce                     0.56
19 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                  
20 Christian Pfannberger (Aut) Barloworld                                  1.05
21 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                                 
22 Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo                       1.14
23 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step                                      1.28
24 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre                                                
25 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas                                          2.27
26 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) CSC-Saxo Bank                                     
27 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank                                         2.36
28 Donato Cannone (Ita) NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte                        
29 Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce                 2.45
30 Andrea Noè (Ita) Liquigas                                                   
31 Morris Possoni (Ita) Columbia                                               
32 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank                                               
33 Bruno Rizzi (Ita) NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte                           
34 Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                    3.05
35 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                              3.16
36 Dario Cioni (Ita) Silence-Lotto                                             
37 Chris Horner (USA) Astana                                                   
38 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step                                           3.30
39 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas                                            3.40
40 Hubert Krys (Pol) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce                       3.55
41 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Columbia                                            4.00
42 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli    
43 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                          
44 Ángel Madrazo (Spa) Scott-American Beef                                     
45 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Scott-American Beef                            5.15
46 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre                                                  
47 Sergey Klimov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                  
48 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank

Past winners

2007 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC                 205km   in 5.22.17 (38.165 km/h)
2006 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner           196.6km in 4.55.15 (39.953 km/h)
2005 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
2004 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
2003 Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) iBanesto.com     
2002 Michele Bartoli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
2001 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Deutsche Telekom 
2000 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre
1999 Michael Boogerd (Ned)
1998 Mirko Celestino (Ita) 
1997 Alexandre Gontschenkov (Rus)
1996 Michele Bartoli (Ita)
1995 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1994 Francesco Casagrande (Ita)
1993 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1992 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1991 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1990 Davide Cassani (Ita)
1989 Dimitri Konychev (Rus)
1988 Tony Rominger (Swi)
1987 Jean-François Bernard (Fra)
1986 Hubert Seiz (Swi)
1985 Acacio Da Silva (Por)
1984 Ezio Moroni (Ita)
1983 Cesare Cipollini (Ita)
1982 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita)
1981 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita) 
1980 Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita)
1979 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1978 Bernt Johansson (Swe)
1977 Mario Beccia (Ita)
1976 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1975 Enrico Paolini (Ita)
1974 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1973 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1972 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1971 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1970 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1969 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1968 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1967 Michele Dancelli (Ita)
1966 Carmelo Preziosi (Ita)
1965 Michele Dancelli (Ita)
1963 Italo Zilioli (Ita)
1962 Bruno Mealli (Ita)
1961 Diego Ronchini (Ita)
1960 Pierino Baffi (Ita)
1959 Ercole Baldini (Ita)
1958 Diego Ronchini (Ita)
1957 Bruno Monti (Ita)
1956 Bruno Monti (Ita)
1955 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1954 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1953 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1952 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1951 Luciano Maggini (Ita)
1950 Luciano Maggini (Ita)
1949 Virgilio Salimbeni (Ita)
1948 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1947 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1946 Adolfo Leoni (Ita)
1943 Nedo Logli (Ita)
1942 Adolfo Leoni (Ita)
1941 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1940 Osvadlo Bailo (Ita)
1939 Serafino Biagioni (Ita)
1938 Carrado Ardizzoni (Ita)
1937 Cesare Del Cancia (Ita)
1936 Giuseppe Olmo (Ita)
1935 Aldo Bini (Ita)
1934 Marco Cimatti (Ita)
1931 Glauco Servadei (Ita)
1930 Mario Bonetti (Ita)
1929 Allegro Grandi (Ita)
1928 Alfonso Piccin (Ita)
1927 Domenico Piemontesi (Ita)
1925 Constante Girardengo (Ita)
1924 Pietro Linari (Ita)
1923 Michele Gordini (Ita)
1922 Constante Girardengo (Ita)
1921 Constante Girardengo (Ita)
1920 Giovanni Brunero (Ita)
1919 Constante Girardengo (Ita)
1918 Constante Girardengo (Ita)
1917 Angelo Gremo (Ita)
1914 Ezio Corlaita (Ita)
1913 Alfonso Calzolari (Ita)
1912 Ugo Agostoni (Ita)
1911 Clemente Canepari (Ita)
1910 Luigi Ganna (Ita)
1909 Eberardo Pavesi (Ita)


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