From Track to Road World Champion: Italy's Giorgia Bronzini

Italy's Giorgia Bronzini has won the Elite Women's Road World Championship in Geelong, Australia, giving Italy back-to-back victories in the event. Bronzini had previously won World Championship victories on the track as a Junior in 2001, and the 25 km points race in Poland last year.

Bronzini won in a furious sprint finish catching Marianne Vos and Emma Johansson at the line. Since winning the World Championship in 2006 Vos has now finished 2nd four consecutive times.

"I still do not believe it", said Bronzini. "It's been a great team effort. All of the azzure today have sacrificed for the rainbow jersey. This is, in fact, the great value of the Italian squads and it has been proving it for years.

In the first part of the race I worked for the team, I felt good and my legs responded well. I waited for the right moment. I realized that I could and in fact I had to do the sprint in the final climb. Before it, I urged Noemi Cantele and Tatiana Guderzo to try if they were good. They, after realizing that this was my chance, have placed themselves at my disposal. They were fantastic.

This is victory for Franco Ballerini."


The victory was also for teammate Marina Romoli that was involved in a car accident while training and is hospitalized with serious injuries. Each member of the squad wore a glove with a single letter that spelled together "Marina Go".

Top 10 results:
1 Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) 3:32:01
2 Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
3 Emma Johansson (Sweden)
4 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)
5 Judith Arndt (Germany) 0:00:01
6 Grace Verbeke (Belgium) 0:00:03
7 Trixi Worrack (Germany)
8 Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)
9 Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)
10 Carla Swart (South Africa)

Photos: team podium photo by Riccardo Scanferla; others by CJ Farquharson

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,500 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

UCI World Championship Road Races This Weekend

It's been a poor start for Italy at the UCI Road World Championships in Australia.

The best placed rider has been Sonny Colbrelli who finished 6th in the U23 Men's road race.

In the Women's Elite TT Italy's Tatiana Guderzo and Noemi Cantele finished 10th and 12th respectively.

Italy did not enter any men in the Men's Elite TT, won by Fabian Cancellera at 47,048km/h for his fourth World Championship. Hats off to the two riders from St. Kitts and Nevis, Reginald Douglas and James Weekes who did race the Men's Elite TT.

The Women's Elite Road Race is tomorrow, Saturday. The CT for the women's squad, Dino Salvoldi, has announced that Monia Baccaille will be a reserve. The women to compete are: Elena Berlato (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss RDZ Ormu), Rossella Callovi (Vecchiafontana), Noemi Cantele (HTC-Columbia), Valentina Carretta (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), Tatiana Guderzo (Team Valdarno), Eleonora Patuzzo (Safi Pasta Zara Manhattan), and Luisa Tamanini (Chirio Forno d'Asolo). Tatiana Guderzo, winner last year in Mendrisio, will wear the number 1 bib.

Guderzo and Noemi Cantele will be the leaders of the team. The Italian squad sees their most fierce competition coming from Holland's Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley (who just won the Women's Elite TT), and Germany's Judith Arndt and Trixi Worrack.

For the Men's Elite squad there are approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes of hard training today, including motor pacing, along oceanside roads. For tomorrow an easy ride is planned. The Men's Elite race is Sunday.

Bettini said, "Thanks to the Under 23 race we have more information about the course." Bettini hasn't finalized the team's tactics saying that, "We have discussed the various options of how we divide the race. At the meeting before the race, after having shared all the proposals, we will choose together."

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,500 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

2010 UCI Road World Championships

The 2010 UCI Road World Championships in Melbourne and Geelong – which begin on Wednesday with the Under-23 and Women’s time trial events – will undoubtedly be greeted with the same whole-hearted enthusiasm, even euphoria, which currently surrounds Australian cycling.

Situated on the bay of Corio, about 70km from Melbourne, Geelong – a small touristic spot which has already organized a round of the UCI Women Road World Cup – will be at the heart of the event.

Only the last race of these Championships, the one which will award the most coveted rainbow jersey of the week and which will be raced for the first time without the help of earpieces, will set off from Melbourne, before attacking the beautiful and demanding Geelong circuit which the riders will have to cover 11 times, for a total distance of 262,7km.

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, who will attempt to win his fourth title in the time trial event, Spain’s Oscar Freire, who dreams of becoming the first rider in history to win the World Championships road race four times, the Italian Filippo Pozzato, who won the “rehearsal” on Sunday in Ballarat, and the Belgian Philippe Gilbert are the main favourites – along with Britain’s Mark Cavendish and the Norwegian Thor Hushovd – to succeed Cadel Evans. Meanwhile the Australian will give his all in front of his own public in order to honour the gold medal he won in 2009.

In the women’s race, the person to watch could well be the German Trixi Worrack, who was victorious in the preparation race.

The schedules (local time, Melbourne/Geelong):
Wednesday, 29 September
Men U23 Time Trial, 31.8 km, 1000 to 1405; course details
Women Elite Time Trial, 22.9 km, 1500 to 1650; course details

Thursday, 30 September
Men Elite Time Trial, 45.8 km, 1300 to 1735; course details

Friday, 1 October
Men U23 Road Race, 159 km, 1300 to 1715; course details

Saturday, 2 October
Women Elite Road Race, 127.2 km, 1300 to 1635; course details

Sunday, 3 October
Men Elite Road Race, 262.7 km, 1000 to 1650; course details

All finish times are estimated

Check your local TV listings for coverage.

Note: the UCI has recently launched an iPhone app you can download to obtain the latest results, news and press releases for all cycling disciplines. The application is free of charge and can be downloaded from the iTunes Apple Store.

In Italy the RAI schedule is:

MERCOLEDÌ 29 SETTEMBRE
Raisport 2: ore 2.00/6.05 Mondiali Ciclismo da Melbourne diretta Crono Uomini Under 23; ore 7.00/8.50 Crono Donne Elite
Raisport 1: ore 14.45 differita Mondiali Ciclismo Melbourne

GIOVEDÌ 30 SETTEMBRE
Raisport 2: ore 5.00 Mondiali Ciclismo diretta Crono Uomini Elite
Raisport 1: ore 14.45 differita Mondiali Ciclismo Melbourne

VENERDÌ 1 OTTOBRE
Raisport 2: ore 5.00 diretta Mondiali Ciclismo Prova in linea Uomini Under 23
Raisport 1: ore 14.45 differita Mondiali Ciclismo Melbourne

SABATO 2 OTTOBRE
Raisport 2 e Raitre: ore 5.00/9.30 diretta Mondiali Ciclismo Prova in linea Donne Elite
Raisport 1: ore 12.00 differita Mondiali Ciclismo Melbourne

DOMENICA 3 OTTOBRE
Raisport 2: ore 1.00/8.10 diretta Mondiali Ciclismo Prova in linea Uomini Elite
Raisport 1: ore 10.00 differita Mondiali Ciclismo Melbourne

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,500 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Italian National Team for World Championships

Paolo Bettini, the new C.T. for the Italian national team, has made his selections for the Men's Elite World Championship road race to be held in Australia on October 3rd.

The team members will be:
Filippo Pozzato (Katusha)
Marzio Bruseghin (Caisse d'Epargne)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre Farnese)
Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas Doimo)
Daniel Oss (Liquigas Doimo)
Luca Paolini (Acqua&Sapone)
Marco Pinotti (HTC Columbia) note: replaced by Enrico Gasparotto (Astana) on Sept. 17
Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step)
Giovanni Visconti (Isd Neri)

Reserves: Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2r) e Andrea Tonti (Carmiooro NGC)

Not selected were Ballan and Bennati, both excellent riders.

The road race route will take riders from Melbourne to Geelong where there will be 11 laps. Total distance: 259.9 km.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,500 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.