Daily Peloton - Pro Cycling News

Twenty-four hours after opening his 2007 palmares at Gran Premio Larciano, "Win-cenzo" Nibali did it again, and crushed opposition also in Sunday's 80th Giro della Toscana, a single-day race of 198.7 kilometres from the town of Sansepolcro to Arezzo. Unlike yesterday, nobody could follow the Tuscany-based Sicilian in Liquigas' lime green colors in his winning run to the line today: Nibali finished 15" clear of another Italian youngster, Matteo Priamo of Panaria, with Daniele Pietropolli (Tenax-Menekini) filling in the other top three spot. Franco Pellizotti couldn't place higher than fourth this time.

The Scopetone climb, and the descent that followed, both to be tackled twice, proved to be the race decider. The peloton was thinned down to some sixty riders only as they went on the climb for the first, and a group of ten containing Nibali attacked on the descent. When the race hit the Scopetone slopes again, Win-cenzo made his own winning move, that only José Serpa did counter, but the latter is a Colombian mountain goat not gifted with outstanding downhill skills, so few were surprised as Nibali left him behind in the descent into Arezzo and continued his run to the finish all by himself.

Courtesy Giro di Toscana.

"I have to be honest; I didn't think I could win both races" the Shark admitted "In the first half of the race today my legs were still suffering the consequences of yesterday's efforts. But later my DS Chiesa (Mario Chiesa, a former professional rider of the '80s and early '90s) told me to give it a go. And what followed proved him right". This sensational weekend was the last one prior to the start of his first ever Tour of Italy as a pro "But that would be a truly different matter. It will be my first time at the Giro and they did the right thing appointing Di Luca and Pelizotti as team leaders. I shall place myself at their disposal".

80th Giro della Toscana (Sansepolcro to Arezzo, 198.7 km): Results
1. NIBALI, Vincenzo (ITA - Liquigas) - 04h41'52"
2. PRIAMO, Matteo (ITA - Panaria-Navigare) - at 06"
3. SHPILEVSKIY, Boris (RUS - Kio-Ene-DMT) - at 06"
4. PIETROPOLLI, Daniele (ITA - Tenax-Menikini) - at 06"
5. MARCATO, Marco (ITA - Team LPR) - at 06"
6. PELLIZZOTTI, Franco (ITA - Liquigas) - at 06"
7. ALLEGRINI, Mirko (ITA - Kio-Ene-DMT) - at 06"
8. RUBIANO CHAVEZ, Miguel (COL - Panaria-Navigare) - at 06"
9. SERPA, Josè (COL - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 06"
10. AREKEEV, Alexander (RUS - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - at 06"
11. MISSAGLIA, Gabriele (ITA - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 06"
12. SALERNO, Cristiano (ITA - Tenax-Menikini) - at 06"
13. NOE', Andrea (ITA - Liquigas) - at 06"
14. BINDI, Emanuele (ITA - Universal Caffè-Ecopetrol) - at 57"
15. LONGO BORGHINI, Paolo (ITA - Barloworld) - at 58"
16. ZAMPILLI, Rino (ITA - Aurum Hotels) - at 58"
17. SOLARI, Luca (ITA - Team LPR) - at 58"
18. DELL'ANTONIA, Tiziano (ITA - Panaria-Navigare) - at 58"
19. MAISTO, Massimiliano (ITA - OTC Doors-Lauretana) - at 58"
20. OSELLA, Marco (ITA - Kio-Ene-DMT) - at 58"
21. MAZZANTI, Massimo (ITA - Kio-Ene-DMT) - at 58"
22. MURRO, Christian (ITA - Tenax-Menikini) - at 58"
23. MORSCHER, Harald (AUT - Team Volksbank) - at 58"
24. PARRAVICINI, Mattia (ITA - Kio-Ene-DMT) - at 58"
25. IVANOV, Ruslan (MOL - Amore & Vita-McDonald's) - at 58"
26. BERTOLINI, Alessandro (ITA - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 58"
27. DE MATTEIS, Micula (ITA - Tenax-Menikini) - at 58"
28. NIEMEC, Przemyslaw (POL - Miche) - at 58"
29. PEREZ, Marlon Alirio (COL - Universal Caffè-Ecopetrol) - at 58"
30. NARDELLO, Daniele (ITA - Team LPR) - at 1'02"
31. STALDER, Florian (SWI - Team Volksbank) - at 1'02"
32. KHALILOV, Mikhaylo (UKR - Ceramica Flaminia) - at 1'02"
33. BARBERO, Sergio (ITA - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 1'02"
34. AXELSSON, Niklas (SWE - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 01'02"
35. GOLCER, Jure (SLO - Tenax-Menikini) - at 01'02"
36. KAIRELIS, Dainius (LIT - Amore & Vita-McDonald's) - at 01'02"
37. LA VERDE JIMENEZ, Luis Felipe (COL - Panaria-Navigare) - at 01'02"
38. AGNOLI, Valerio (ITA - Aurum Hotels) - at 01'02"
39. FAILLI, Francesco (ITA - Liquigas) - at 02'12"
40. SZCZAWINSKI, Krxysztof (POL - Miche) - at 02'12"
41. CHIARINI, Riccardo (ITA - Team LPR) - at 02'12"
42. CANNONE, Donato (ITA - OTC Doors-Lauretana) - at 02'12"
43. GASPARRE, Graziano (ITA - Amore & Vita-McDonald's) - at 02'14"
44. CARLSTROM, Kjell (FIN - Liquigas) - at 02'14"
45. MASCIARELLI, Simone (ITA - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - at 03'44"
46. ASCANI, Luca (ITA - Aurum Hotels) - at 03'44"
47. CALLEGARIN, Daniele (ITA - Team LPR) - at 03'44"
48. PEDRAZA, Walter (COL - Diquigiovanni-S.Italia) - at 03'44"
49. PALUMBO, Giuseppe (ITA - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - at 03'44"
50. DI GRANDE, Giuseppe (ITA - Miche) - at 03'44"
51. LORIA, Domenico (ITA - Universal Caffè-Ecopetrol) - at 03'44"
52. MASERATI, Alessandro (ITA - Team LPR) - at 03'44"
53. SESTILI, Luigi (ITA - Aurum Hotels) - at 03'44"
54. BELLIN, Maurizio (ITA - Team LPR) - at 03'44"

RACE PHOTOS

He's winning in the rain, just winning in the rain,
What a glorious feelin' he's happy again ...
Copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti

More from Win-cenzo, aka The Shark
Copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti

Yes dude, you made it two ...
Copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti

The podium (L to R): A welcomed presence, Priamo, Nibali,
Pietropolli ... and another welcomed presence.
Copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti