The Italian one-day race thread 2016

[Hugo Koblet]

I thought it might be a good idea to make a thread to discuss the many smaller one-day races on the Italian calendar, starting today with GP Costa degli Etruschi and continuing next week with Trofeo Laigueglia.

Traditionally a sprinter's race - as evident by Petacchi's six wins a row - the GP Costa degli Etruschi has opened the Italian calendar since 2005. However, since 2013 the race has included many more hills and now suits the fast riders who can climb as well or the puncheurs. Scarponi broke the sprinter's dominance in 2013 when the race was rescheduled as a preparation race for the Florence Worlds - which also saw the chance of route to include more hills - and the race organizers have followed a similar approach since then.

The race really gets interesting towards the finish, when the riders will take on the Torre Segalari climb - a 3 km long climb averaging 5% - twice before descending towards a 3 km flat run-in towards the finish line.

Notable starters:

Manuel Belletti, Diego Ulissi, Francesco Gavazzi, Daniele Ratto, Stefano Pirazzi, Grega Bole, Edoardo Zardini, Francesco Bongiorno, Filippo Pozzato

Race profile:

I don't think the race is shown live, but video highlights should be available later in the evening and text updates are available here: http://www.gsemilia.it/

 

[PeterB]

(Edit)
Very weak field... No wonder if there are four other races around the world on the same weekend.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I thought it might be a good idea to make a threat

This is very rarely a good idea

Oh no you're right

 

[Brullnux]

Shall we include Lugano too? I know it's Swiss but usually the same riders participate.

Anyway, Ulissi ftw, an attack with Fedi and Bongiorno on the last climb. Gavazzi and Bole for the sprint if it comes to it. Watch out for Consonni in the sprint, too. And pippo ofc. Quite an open race as Lampre don't have a sprinter here and Bardiani have left Colbrelli and Ruffoni in Valencia.

Really sad though at the loss of Italian one day races like Roma Maxima/Giro del Lazio and GP Camaiore.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Shall we include Lugano too? I know it's Swiss but usually the same riders participate.

Anyway, Ulissi ftw, an attack with Fedi and Bongiorno on the last climb. Gavazzi and Bole for the sprint if it comes to it. Watch out for Consonni in the sprint, too. And pippo ofc. Quite an open race as Lampre don't have a sprinter here and Bardiani have left Colbrelli and Ruffoni in Valencia.

Really sad though at the loss of Italian one day races like Roma Maxima/Giro del Lazio and GP Camaiore.

Good idea. At least if the race doesn't get its own race thread.

 

[Brullnux]

11 guys at the front with 5 to go. Bole, Ulissi, Zardini, Fedi and Ratto all in it

 

[pastronef]

Re:

11 guys at the front with 5 to go. Bole, Ulissi, Zardini, Fedi and Ratto all in it

go Grega!

 

[Brullnux]

As expected in a reduced sprint of 12, Bole takes it.

1. Bole
2. Gavazzi
3. Ulissi
4. Fedi

 

[pastronef]

Re:

As expected in a reduced sprint of 12, Bole takes it.

1. Bole
2. Viganò
3. Ulissi

'
nice one for Greg! I feared Ulissi could snatch it. phew!

although a win for Vigano would have been fine too.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Sanz was leading solo with 2K to go but he had a puncture. Dont know if he had a decent gap though but still tough luck in his first race for his new team.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

there is delayed coverage coming up on RaiSport1 at 16:30 cet
probably geo-restricted.

The online channel here at moment is really skippy some I doubt I can make
decent recording of it this time round

Try here instead:
http://webtvhd.com/rai-sport-1-diretta-streaming-estero.html

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Gavazzi not Vigano second according to PCS.

 

[johnymax]

Nice win for Bole!

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Gavazzi not Vigano second according to PCS.

Yep you're right.

 

[johnymax]

Re:

Sanz was leading solo with 2K to go but he had a puncture. Dont know if he had a decent gap though but still tough luck in his first race for his new team.

I saw the highlights. He wasn't solo in the lead but he was in the front group of 11 or 12 riders.

 

[jens_attacks]

pippo looked strong. all that matters

 

[Ruudz0r]

Re: Re:

Sanz was leading solo with 2K to go but he had a puncture. Dont know if he had a decent gap though but still tough luck in his first race for his new team.

I saw the highlights. He wasn't solo in the lead but he was in the front group of 11 or 12 riders.

Ah thanks, saw some reports on Twitter that he had attacked and not long after that they said he had a flat. But guess those reports were wrong then.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re: Re:

Sanz was leading solo with 2K to go but he had a puncture. Dont know if he had a decent gap though but still tough luck in his first race for his new team.

I saw the highlights. He wasn't solo in the lead but he was in the front group of 11 or 12 riders.

Could you link the highlights?

 

[johnymax]

Re: Re:

Sanz was leading solo with 2K to go but he had a puncture. Dont know if he had a decent gap though but still tough luck in his first race for his new team.

I saw the highlights. He wasn't solo in the lead but he was in the front group of 11 or 12 riders.

Could you link the highlights?

I watched the delayed coverage on raisport1 from the link @TourOfSardinia provided above.

On youtube I could only find a video of the final sprint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDA-4ccn9ug

 

[Hugo Koblet]

So tomorrow it's time for Trofeo Laigueglia and the 53rd edition of the race. This race has a richer history than GP Etruchi with names like Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Armstrong, Bartoli, Museeuw and Maartens on the winners list.

The riders will traverse 192.5 km starting and finishing in the city of Laigueglia on the Ligurian coast. However, the route will not follow the Ligurian coast, rather it will take the riders into the hillier parts of the country. The route follows the same formular as last year, with a few small changes. Most notably, the riders will only climbs the tough Cima Paravenna once this year and perhaps most importantly, the final part of the race has been made into a circuit that the riders will do three times. Before reaching the circuit however, the riders will have to climb the two tough climbs Cima Paravenna and Testico.

Last year the organizers introduced a finishing circuit but last year it was only done once. This year the riders will do it three times. The circuit is 10.8 km long and pretty tough with two climbs: The Colla Micheri (2.1 km, 7.8%) and Capo Mele (2 km, 3.5%). The summit of the Capo Mele is not far from the finishing line, so the riders will descend towards the finishing line with just a small stretch of flat in the end.

Notable starters: Filippo Pozzato (the only three time winner of the race), Diego Ulissi, Andrea Fedi, Manuel Belletti, Sonny Colbrelli, Damiano Cunego, Arthur Vichot, Fabio Felline, Francesco Gavazzi, Grega Bole.

 

[May0maniac]

It should be too hard for the likes of Bonifazio, right?
I don't like Ulissi's chances, I don't think that he'll be able to drop thee faster guys.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

It should be too hard for the likes of Bonifazio, right?
I don't like Ulissi's chances, I don't think that he'll be able to drop thee faster guys.

Oh, didn't realise that Bonifazio is riding as well. He shouldn't be counted out for sure. Ulissi was 5th here in 2014 and the course is now harder so he's definitely in with a shot. That said, he will probably have to get rid of the likes of Colbrelli, Bonifazio, Pasqualon, Bole etc. if he is to win.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

It should be too hard for the likes of Bonifazio, right?
I don't like Ulissi's chances, I don't think that he'll be able to drop thee faster guys.

Oh, didn't realise that Bonifazio is riding as well. He shouldn't be counted out for sure. Ulissi was 5th here in 2014 and the course is now harder so he's definitely in with a shot. That said, he will probably have to get rid of the likes of Colbrelli, Bonifazio, Pasqualon, Bole etc. if he is to win.

Bonifazio is riding for the Italian national team, just like Felline.
Source: http://www.cicloweb.it/news/2016/02...-una-giovane-nazionale-azzurra-al-trofeo-laig

 

[TMP402]

Any livestreams for Laigueglia?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Any livestreams for Laigueglia?

Unfortunately not. Only a few live tickers: http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/?page=live&cod=125 and http://www.gsemilia.it/. I think there will be highlights later though.