31st Giro del Friuli - 1.1

Italy, March 4, 2009

2004 Results Results Past winners

Lorenzetto marks season's third in Friuli

Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C) wins
Photo ©: Sirotti

Mirco Lorenzetto of Lampre-NGC won his third race of the season Wednesday on the rain-soaked roads of the 31st Giro del Friuli in northeast Italy. The Italian, winner of two stages in the Giro di Sardegna, finished ahead of Grega Bole (Amica Chips-Knauf), Manuel Belletti (Diquigiovanni-Androni) and Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) after 184.2 kilometres of racing.

Returning after a five-year break, al Friuli's parcours consisted of a circuit around Pordenone that proved perfectly suited to an early escape. Maxim Gourov (CarmioOro - A-Style) and Oleksandr Kvachuk (ISD) did the honours, with the duo gaining up to 10 minutes on the peloton. It took the efforts of the Barloworld, Lampre-NGC, LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini and Liquigas squads to bring Kvachuk back, which they did in the final four kilometres.

The favourites – including Franco Pellizotti and Roman Kreuziger (both Liquigas), Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni-Androni), Petacchi, Leonardo Bertagnolli (Amica Chips-Knauf), Dario Cioni (ISD) and Eros Capecchi (Fuji-Servetto) – formed a group of 30 which animated the finale.

After the last ascent of the Caneva Castle climb, the flat 25-kilometre run to the finish meant it was always going to end in a bunch kick. Lorenzetto maintained his composure and controlled proceedings in the final kilometre, keeping Pordenone, Bole, Belletti and Petacchi at bay to seal his third victory of the 2009 campaign.

"We took the situation in hand and forced the pace with Bruseghin and then Grendene," said Lampre directeur sportif Fabrizio Bontempi. "Other than Lorenzetto, we also had Bandiera, Bindi and Da Dalto in the lead group." (GB)

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Sirotti/www.sirotti.it

Alessandro Ballan (Lampre - N.G.C) gets rid of his lid after the finish.
The Giro del Friuli podium (l-r): Grega Bole, Mirco Lorenzetto and Manuel Belletti.
Yes, Mirco, three wins. Lorenzetto lets us all know how many wins he's had this season.
Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C) wins the Giro del Friuli.

Images by Riccardo/ciclismoweb.net

Alessandro Ballan (Lampre - N.G.C.) was all smiles at the start line.
Ivan Basso (Liquigas) looked pleased to be racing.
The Italian teams controlled the action at the front of the peloton.
Two riders break away from the peloton during the race.
Oleksandr Kvachuk (ISD) leads Maxim Gourov (CarmioOro - A-Style) in the two-strong breakaway.
The leading duo were caught by a larger group around 25 kilometres from the finish.
Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C.) continued his successful start to the 2009 season.
Italy's Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C.) was just too quick.
Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C.) celebrates as he takes victory.
Podium (L-R): Grega Bole (Amica Chips - Knauf), Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C.) and Manuel Belletti (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli).
Grega Bole (Amica Chips - Knauf), Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre - N.G.C.) and Manuel Belletti (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) celebrate on the podium.

Results - 184.2km

1 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                  4.38.00 (40.576 km/h)
2 Grega Bole (Slo) Amica Chips - Knauf                                           
3 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli          
4 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) LPR Brakes  - Farnese Vini                           
5 Mauro Finetto (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                                       
6 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD                                                    
7 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas                                                  
8 Pasquale Muto (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia                        
9 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia                       
10 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Barloworld                                             
11 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                          
12 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Amica Chips - Knauf                                
13 Volodymyr Starchyk (Ukr) Amore e Vita-McDonald's                              
14 Rodrigo Garcia Rena (Spa) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia                 
15 Piergiorgio Camussa (Ita) Team Piemonte                                       
16 Enrico Zen (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                                         
17 Dario David Cioni (Ita) ISD                                                   
18 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                                              
19 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Amica Chips - Knauf                                  
20 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                          
21 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto                                             
22 Rafael Infantino (Col) Amica Chips - Knauf                                    
23 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas                                                
24 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) LPR Brakes  - Farnese Vini                             
25 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli    
26 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas                                                 
27 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld                                             
28 Andrea Noe (Ita) Liquigas                                                     
29 Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) ISD                                                   
30 Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                          
31 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                       
32 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas                                                     
33 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas                                                  
34 Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas                                                  
35 Luca Solari (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli             
36 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli         
37 Nazareno Rossi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli          
38 Giairo Ermeti (Ita) LPR Brakes  - Farnese Vini                                
39 Jure Golcer (Slo) LPR Brakes  - Farnese Vini                                  
40 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                       
41 Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                         
42 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld                                                 
43 Marco Corti (Ita) Barloworld                                                  
44 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld                                         
45 Edoardo Girardi (Ita) Amica Chips - Knauf                                     
46 Michal Golas (Pol) Amica Chips - Knauf                                        
47 Marco Frapporti (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                                    
48 Tiziano Dall'antonia (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                               
49 Alan Marangoni (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                                     
50 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare                                 
51 Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Team Corratec                                           
52 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia                      
53 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Carmiooro-A Style                                           
54 Alessandro Raisoni (Ita) Carmiooro-A Style                                    
55 Francesco Tizza (Ita) Carmiooro-A Style                                       
56 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Carmiooro-A Style                                     
57 Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Adria Mobil                                               
58 Marko Kump (Slo) Adria Mobil                                                  
59 Matej Gnezda (Slo) Adria Mobil                                                
60 Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukr) ISD                                                     
61 Oscar Gatto (Ita) ISD                                                         
62 Emanuel Kiserlovski (Cro) Loborika

Past winners

2004 Michele Gobbi (Ita) De Nardi
2003 Joseba Albizu (Spa) Mercatone Uno-Scanavino
2002 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio 
2001 Denis Lunghi (Ita)
2000 Michele Bartoli (Ita)
1999 Davide Rebellin (Ita)
1998 Francesco Arazzi (Ita)
1997 not held
1996 AndrejTeteriouk (Kaz)
1995 Dimitry Konychev (Rus)
1994 Wladimir Poulnikov (Rus)
1993 Piotr Ugrumov (Lat)
1992 Alessandro Gianelli (Ita)
1991 Gianni Bugno (Ita) (Italian Championships)
1990 Léonardo Sierra (Ven)
1989 Lech Piasecki (Pol)
1988 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1987 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1986 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1985 Franco Chioccioli(Ita)
1984 Claudio Corti (Ita)
1983 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1982 Guido Bontempi (Ita)
1981 Wladimiro Panizza (Ita)
1980 Claudio Corti(Ita)
1979 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1978 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1977 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)
1976 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1975 Roberto Poggiali (Ita)
1974 Luciano Borgognoni (Ita)