News

26th April 2007

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Unibet.com add another - Tom Criel will join the ProTour squad on the 1st of May

The Unibet.com ProTour squad will be adding an extra rider in the shape of Tom Criel from the 1st of May when the Belgian makes the step up from the squads Continental team.

The young Belgian rider has signed for the team for the next two seasons where his director will be Jacques Hanegraaf, himself an ex-professional rider.

Hanegraaf, speaking on unibetcycling.com, said, "Tom Criel performed very well with our Continental Team the last months and won two races. He's also a talented climber and I hope he can show us his capacities in the smaller tours."

Criel commented, "I'm excited. I wanted to become a professional cyclist at the end of this year, so joining the ProTour Team is a dream come true."

Cunego takes his second stage win, defending his lead in the Giro del Trentino

Following on from his stage one win, Lampre-Fondital's Damiano Cunego has fortified his overnight lead at the Giro del Trentino when he won the second stage yesterday.

The Italian rider who is shaping up for next months Giro d'Italia successfully defended his lead, neutralizing a solo attack by Acqua e Sapone leader Michele Scarponi.

Cunego made contact with Scarponi as the riders passed under the one kilometer to go flag and chose the correct time to sprint clear for the stage win in the toughest mountain stage of the race from S.Massenza to Predaia rif. Sores, a distance of 144.4 kilometers.

Afterwards, speaking on lampre-fondital.com the 'Little Prince' said, " It has been a beautiful and pleasant victory: it was difficult to defeat Scarponi. I thank my team mates, who worked hard during the stage."

Cunego's sporting director, Giuseppe Martinelli added, "Today too Damiano confirmed his good fitness: these are signs that make us optimist in view of the next appointments. After this good performance, Cunego’s attention will be towards Liege."

The race reaches it's climax with the final stage, a 164.4 kilometer stage from Toscolano Maderno to Arco. Cunego looks to be in a great position to run out as the overall winner of the race after he successfully defended his lead in today's 3rd stage of the race, a report of which we will have in tomorrow's daily news section.

Results - Top 10:

1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 4.05.56 (35.13 km/h)

2 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Acqua e Sapone-Caffe Mokambo

3 Christian Pfannberger (Aut) Elk Haus-Simplon 0.12

4 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare 0.16

5 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Elk Haus-Simplon 0.18

6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0.21

7 Fortunato Baliani (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare 0.30

8 Yauhen Sobal (Blr) Cinelli-Endeka-OPD 0.48

9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas

10 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Liquigas

Rebellin romps home to take the Flèche Wallonne defending his lead in the ProTour

The current ProTour series leader, Italian rider Davide Rebellin romped home to take the Flèche Wallonne for the second time in his prestigious career. The Gerolsteiner rider rode a perfect race, following Astana's Matthias Kessler when he launched himself on the final climb to the finish and passing him when the German started fading.

The Italian continued dancing on his pedals crossing the line in first place while Kessler faded further still to be passed by a fast finishing Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Liquigas leader Danilo Di Luca.

In winning the race Gerolsteiner further increased his lead in the UCI's ProTour series and now leads Spanish Rabobank rider Oscar Freire by 50 points. Paris-Roubaix winner Stuart O'Grady who rides for the Danish CSC team remains in 3rd place in the standings on 79 points, 3 less than ex-world champion Freire.

Click here for the full results from yesterday's race in Belgium...

Petacchi leads Zabel for a Milram one-two at the end of stage 2 at the Lotto Tour

Italian sprint king Alessandro Petacchi has won his second stage of the Lotto Tour earlier today. The Milram rider, who also won the first stage of the race yesterday, crossed the line to take stage two of the race ahead of his teammate Erik Zabel for a team one-two.

Speaking after the stage on team-milram.com, Petacchi said, "The team worked very strong again today. Now I’m in a very good condition again. At Milan – Sanremo I was a little tired. Now I will see how it’s going on and I hope one day I can work for Erik because this year he worked for me all the time."

The win further extends Petacchi's lead in the overall general classification and brings his seasons total wins to seven and lets not forget we're only a couple of months into the season!

The Italian rider will start stage three of the race in the leaders jersey, a stage where he will once again be looking for another stage win and a strong defense of his race lead.

Results - Top 10 - Bremen to Melle (186.9 km):
1. Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) 4:21:57
2. Erik Zabel (Milram)
3. Assan Bazayew (Astana)
4. Kenny van Hummel (Skil Shimano)
5. Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner)
6. Graeme Brown (Rabobank)
7. Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile)
8. Peter Möhlmann (Regiostrom-Senges)
9. Daniel Musiol (Wiesenhof-Felt)
10. André Greipel (T-Mobile)

Cofidis announce their lineup for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège

The French ProTour team Cofidis will lineup at Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a powerful squad that will include a number of riders possible of scoring a win including French hope Sylvain Chavanel and Belgian Rik Verbrugghe.

Joining them on the team that will be guided by sporting director Francis Van Londersele will be: Mickaël Buffaz, Leonardo Duque, Bingen Fernandez, Amaël Moinard, Maxime Monfort and Cristian Moreni who was active in the closing stages of yesterday's Flèche Wallonne.

Even though Moreni finished a disappointing 63rd at 1'33" he will be looking for a better result at Sunday's race, the next round of the UCI's ProTour series.

Team CSC announce their selection for the Giro d'Italia
Danish team CSC are one of the first teams to name their selection of riders that will compete at the upcoming Giro d'Italia, the first Grand Tour of the season.

Speaking on team-csc.com team director Bjarne Riis said, "Our line-up for Giro d'Italia this year consists of mainly young riders backed up by some of the more experienced ones. I think we have the opportunity to do well throughout the entire race due to the diversity of this group. Both in the shape of stage wins and we may also be able to take the pink leader's jersey at the beginning of the race. It will be interesting to see, what this particular group of riders can do. Haedo has already shown that he can compete with the best sprinters, and I also think we'll have a few great opportunities in some of the more hilly stages as well as the time trials of course."

The riders selected for the event, a race they won in 2006 when Ivan Basso was riding for the Danish squad, are: David Zabriskie, Fabian Cancellara, Alexandr Kolobnev, Andy Schleck,
Juan José Haedo, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Michael Blaudzun, Matti Breschel and Volodymir Gustov.

World Champion Bettini recons 100 kilometers of Sunday's race with his Quick Step-Innergetic teammates

Italian world champion Paolo Bettini and his Quick Step-Innergetic teammates will ride the final 100 kilometers of the course for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège this Sunday.

Bettini and his teammates will ride the route tomorrow from kilometer 160 at Trois Ponts to Ans where the race finishes.

After riding the final 100 kilometers the riders will then have the chance to talk to some members of the press.

Bettini was forced to abandon yesterday's Flèche Wallonne, a race he started as one of the pre-race favorites in. No doubt the Italian will be hopeful of a better result in the second of the Ardennes Classics.

Di Luca, Pellizotti and Nibali to lead Liquigas at Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Following second places at both the Amstel Gold and the Flèche Wallonne, Liquigas star Danilo Di Luca will be hopeful of going two places better when he competes at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège this Sunday, the final Ardennes classic this season.

Di Luca will be joined by Franco Pellizotti and Vincenzo Nibali, two riders who themselves are capable of producing a win at the weekend. The squad, guided by sporting director Mario Chiesa, will be completed by: Michael Albasini, Kjell Carlstrõm, Francesco Failli, Andrea Noè and Alessandro Spezialetti.

The "Killer", Di Luca himself, speaking on teamliquigas.it said, "I feel very good sensations but my condition is not yet at 100%. I can grow up again in anticipation of the Giro d'Italia, and in the last North classics competitions I can be a real protagonist..." The Liquigas leader and winner of the 2005 ProTour went on saying, "two prestigious podium in four days represent a great result but it's natural to have a bit of bitterness when you graze the success. You know, I'll try to take some satisfaction in Liège."