Wilier Triestina now has a third Cento1 model available, the Cento1 Superleggera Racing (SLR) which uses the same materials and type of geometry used by Alessandro Petacchi (and Damiano Cunego). The other two models are the Cento1 and the Cento1 Superleggera.
Frame dimensions are modified for a shorter head tube and longer top tube. The SLR frames will be only available in a special matte black finish (photo here at www.wilier.it) that will distinguish it from other Cento1 models. My opinion: it would have been been much better to have it with the neon yellow front Petacchi used during the season or with the green when he was wearing the green jersey at the Tour de France:
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.
After losing the green jersey again on Stage 16, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was able to regain it today on Stage 18. Finishing in 3rd place in the sprint Petacchi gained enough points to pass Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) again. The stage was won by Mark Cavindish (his fourth; HTC-Columbia) with Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) finishing 2nd. Hushovd finished in 13th.
"I performed the sprint with two targets," said Petacchi. "One aim was to try to battle against Cavendish, who's now the strongest sprinter in the bunch. The other one was to take back the green jersey. When I noticed that Hushovd was not so brilliant in the moment before the sprint, I decided to anticipate and so I started to accelerate. Cavendish reacted in a quick way and he could overtake me, so I focused my attention on preceding Hushovd. I struggled because I'm not as brilliant as in the early part of Tour de France, and also because of bronchitis. But, thanks to the support by my team mates, I could come back to first place in the points standing. I know that the battle will end in Paris: Hushovd and Cavendish won't give up".
Daniel Oss, Liquigas-Doimo, won the most aggressive rider award today. Oss made a solo effort to win from the 14 km mark but was caught by the peleton at 3.5 km from the finish.
Photo: Bettini
Top 5 in green jersey points classification: 1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 213 pts 2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 203 3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 197 4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 167 5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 162
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 1,400 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.
Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) is back to wearing the green jersey after losing it yesterday to Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) and winning it back today on the 13th stage. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) won the stage with a late attack, finishing 13 seconds ahead of the top sprinters. 2nd place was won by Cavendish, and Petacchi finished 3rd earning precious points over Hushovd who finished 8th.
"The duel against Hushovd is very interesting and it will go on until Paris," Petacchi commented. "Today, thanks to the support of my team mates I could take back the green jersey. Now I have to pay even more attention to the intermediate sprints since Hushovd is skillful in joining breakaways. It will be a tough battle".
The top 5 in the green jersey points classification:
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 187 pts 2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 185 3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 162 4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 144 5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138
Photo: Bettini
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 1,400 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.
Alessandro Petacchi finished in 2nd place today in a chaotic sprint in the 11th stage of Tour de France (Sisteron-Bourg les Valence, 184.5 km). He isn't bitter though as the 30 points for 2nd place makes him the new leader in the green jersey points competition. Cavendish was the stage winner.
"Cavendish and his team performed a perfect sprint. It was very difficult to precede them, even if Lampre-Farnese's work was very good," Petacchi commented. "I'm sorry I didn't win, but I'm happy for conquering the green jersey: it's a beautiful prize for my teammates' effort and I'll try to keep it with me as long as possible".
"It's not going to be easy to keep the green jersey until we reach Paris," Petacchi said. "Yesterday I went for the intermediate sprint because Hushovd, McEwen and I are very close in the points classification. We'll probably fight for other intermediate sprints. I'm confident after the good work done by my team today. The way Danilo Hondo brought me back to the front was exceptional."
"My position now makes me think of the 2003 Tour de France," Petacchi explained. "Seven years ago, I didn't have the grinta (determination) that I have now to finish the Tour and win the green jersey. My directeur sportif at the time, Giancarlo Ferretti, was very upset when I pulled out of the Tour although I had the green jersey."
Mark Renshaw, the main lead-out man for Cavindish, has been ejected from the Tour for dangerous actions during the final which included head butting Julian Dean:
The top five 5 in the Points competition after today: 1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 161 pts 2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 157 3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138 4 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 132 5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 122
Photos: Bettini
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 1,400 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.
The hiring of Danilo Hondo in December has paid more dividends as Hondo led out Alessandro Petacchi to his 2nd stage victory in a clean sprint finish in Reims ahead of Dean, Boasson Hagen, McEwen and Hunter.
"This was a perfect sprint, as perfect as my legs were perfect today. Probably yesterday's efforts on the cobblestones helped me to be very brilliant today," commented Petacchi. "I didn't want to wait for Cavendish or Hushovd to start their sprints, so thanks to an outstanding action by Hondo I began my sprint at 300 meters go."
It was Petacchi's 6th stage victory in the Tour de France.
Petacchi uses a specially modified Wilier Cento1 Superleggera; see story here.
Photo: Bettini
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 1,400 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.
After a nervous run into the final sprint, characterized by a series of crashes, it was Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) that was able to exploit the situation and win the stage in Brussels. Sprinters Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) were among those that crashed.
It is Petacchi's 5th stage win in the Tour, having won four stages in 2003. Petacchi also won the green points jersey.
“I’m back at the Tour de France and I immediately win a stage: a perfect life!," Petacchi commented. "It was a special finale. In the last turn, everybody came in fast and nobody wanted to brake, so there was a crash and a lot of confusion. I did a very risky sprint. I attacked from far out, despite the head wind and the false-flat road. I think I've done a great sprint. I'm not sure that Cavendish would have beat me if he'd been there at the end because I've really done a great sprint."
Cancellara remains in yellow.
Stage 1 results: 1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 5:09:38 2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 5 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux
Photo: Sirotti
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 1,400 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.
Milan-Sanremo is still far off, one and a half months remain for the Spring classic, but the race was already on the mind of Alessandro Petacchi at today's XV edition of the G.P. Costa degli Etrusch.
After winning his third sprint of this season today Ale Jet said, "The new finish of Milan-Sanremo does not bother me. Sure, I would have preferred a finish similar to when I won (ed. note: 2005). As always it will be a course where you will have to give everything. I hope the entire team will be in good condition so that it will permit me to be near the front of the group on all the climbs. My condition is already good, and I feel good when the roads goes up."
Photo: Petacchi winning today with a lunge
Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondo, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,200 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.
Just asking because Damiano Cunego, and his Lampre training group, rode 205 km today with 6 climbs included. Petacchi's group did 200 km and four climbs. All near San Vincenzo.
If you are doing/did less....well, then you need to get out there.
Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondo, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,200 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.
Posts
