Sweden's
Thomas Lovkvist of Team Columbia-High Road powered to victory
in Saturday's
Montepaschi Strade Bianche Toscana (formerly Eroica)
contest, running over 190 kilometres - 60 of which on unpaved roads - from
Gaiole in Chianti to Siena's legendary Piazza del Campo square (home to the
famous
Palio horse race twice a year) in green Tuscany.
Vittoria Thomas Lovkvist! Even if he rode a bike and not a horse, the Swede
had his day of glory in the Palio di Siena square. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti
Team Milram's Fabian Wegmann took the runner-up spot in this Italian
one-day race and Martin Elmiger from the land of the Swiss made the
all-foreign podium complete. Giovanni Visconti was the only Italian in the top
ten spots, that featured also Team Columbia's young fastman Boasson Hagen plus
two English-speakers.
A wild bunch of 112 athletes, but NOT unfit World champion Alessandro
Ballan, showed up at the start line. Four of them - Riccardo Chiarini,
Barloworld's Diego Caccia, Ukraine's Oleksander Kvachuk and Italy's Luca
Pierfelici - made the gap at km. 28 and stayed clear until about 20 km from
the finish, gaining a maximum advantage of five minutes and 28 second by km
59.
The break led by Luca Pierfelici and Diego Caccia battle on the white gravel
roads that give the race its name. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti
Once they were brought back, a new part of the race began, with the
Switzerland-based Swede Lovkvist, Germany's national RR champion Wegmann and
Elmiger eventually stealing the show after Visconti made an untimely and
unsuccessful move with some 7 kilometres to go. The "Milraman" Linus Gerdemann
attacked next in last five thousand metres, but got only some brief media
exposure as the race was about to make it into Siena.
But it was Lovkvist's final attack in the closing kilometer on the streets
of Sienna that proved successful as he led over the line with 4 seconds on
Wegmann, with Elmiger a following at 2 seconds.
2009 Podium: Fabian Wegmann, Thomas Lovkvist and Martin Elmiger
Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter
Sirotti
3rd Eroica Montepaschi: Full Results
1. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe - Team Columbia-Highroad) - 04h59'02" (38.12 km/h)
2. Fabian Wegmann (Ger - Team Milram) - at 04"
3. Martin Elmiger (Swi - AG2R-La Mondiale) - at 06"
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor - Team Columbia-Highroad) - at 08"
5. Linus Gerdemann (Ger - Team Milram) - at 12"
6. Giovanni Visconti (Ita - ISD) - at 14"
7. Peter Velits (Svk - Team Milram) - s.t.
8. Andy Schleck (Lux - Team Saxo Bank) - at 16"
9. Daniel Lloyd (GBR - Cervelo TestTeam) - at 19"
10. Ryder Hesjedal (Can - Garmin-Slipstream) - at 22"
The lead group led by Ryder Hesjedal and Daniele Bennati
Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti
11. Daniele Bennati (Ita - Liquigas) - at 29"
12. Serguei Ivanov (Rus - Team Katusha) - at 30"
13. Ignatas Konovalovas (Lit - Cervelo TestTeam) - at 34"
14. Roger Hammond (GBR - Cervelo TestTeam) - s.t.
15. Riccardo Chiarini (Ita - LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) - at 50"
16. Oscar Gatto (Ita - ISD) - at 01'18"
17. Daniele Righi (Ita - Lampre-N.G.C.) - at 01'36"
18. Dominique Rollin (Can - Cervelo TestTeam) - s.t.
19. Manuel Belletti (Ita - Diquigiovanni-Androni) - s.t.
20. Matti Breschel (Den - Team Saxo Bank) - s.t.
The attack of Lovkvist, Giovanni Visconti Giovanni, Ryder Hesjedal and Daniele
Bennati Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti
21. Leonardo Giordani (Ita - Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) - s.t.
22. Martijn Maaskant (Ned - Garmin-Slipstream) - s.t.
23. Bernhard Eisel (Aut - Team Columbia-Highroad) - at 01'40"
24. Mark Cavendish (GBR - Team Columbia-Highroad) - at 01'41"
25. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita - Barloworld) - s.t.
26. Francesco Failli (Ita - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - s.t.
27. Luca Mazzanti (Ita - Team Katusha) - at 01'47"
28. Andriy Grivko (Ukr - ISD) - s.t.
29. Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita - LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) - at 02'14"
30. Diego Caccia (Ita - Barloworld) - s.t.
Fabian Wegmann finishes, followed by: Martin Elmiger, Linus Gerdemann,
Giovanni Visconti. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti
31. Andreas Klier (Ger - Cervelo TestTeam) - at 02'16"
32. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda - AG2R-La Mondiale) - at 02'22"
33. Filippo Pozzato (Ita - Team Katusha) - at 04'20"
34. Francesco Ginanni (Ita - Diquigiovanni-Androni) - s.t.
35. Michael Albasini (Swi - Team Columbia-Highroad) - s.t.
36. Dario David Cioni (Ita - ISD) - at 04'33"
37. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe - Team Saxo Bank) - at 05'43"
38. Manuel Quinziato (Ita - Liquigas) - s.t.
39. Serguei Klimov (Rus - Team Katusha) - s.t.
40. Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr - ISD) - s.t.
41. Tyler Farrar (USA - Garmin-Slipstream) - s.t.
42. William Frischkorn (USA - Garmin-Slipstream) - s.t.
43. Gabriel Rasch (Nor - Cervelo TestTeam) - s.t.
44. Pavel Brutt (Rus - Team Katusha) - s.t.
45. Maxim Belkov (Rus - ISD) - s.t.
46. Svein Tuft (Can - Garmin-Slipstream) - at 06'00"
47. Christopher Sutton (Aus - Garmin-Slipstream) - s.t.
48. Stuart O'Grady (Aus - Team Saxo Bank) - s.t.
49. Maurizio Biondo (Ita - Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) - s.t.
50. Fabio Sabatini (Ita - Liquigas) - at 09'56"
51. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita - ISD) - s.t.
52. Brett Lancaster (Aus - Cervelo TestTeam) - s.t.
53. Daniel Oss (Ita - Liquigas) - s.t.
54. Luca Pierfelici (Ita - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - s.t.
55. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor - Team Saxo Bank) - at 12'27"
56. Martin Reimer (Ger - Cervelo TestTeam) - s.t.
57. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den - Team Saxo Bank) - s.t.
58. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita - Lampre-N.G.C.) - s.t.
59. Jean Charles Senac (Fra - AG2R-La Mondiale) - s.t.
60. Alberto Ongarato (Ita - LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) - s.t.
61. Michael Friedman (USA - Garmin-Slipstream) - s.t.
62. Julien Loubet (Fra - AG2R-La Mondiale) - s.t.
63. Vitaliy Buts (Ukr - Lampre-N.G.C.) - s.t.
64. Ben Swift (GBR - Team Katusha) - s.t.
65. Giampaolo Cheula (Ita - Barloworld) - s.t.
66. Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita - Barloworld) - s.t.
67. Luigi Sestili (Ita - Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) - at 13'57"
68. Adriano Angeloni (Ita - Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce) - s.t.
69. Luis Angel Mate (Spa - Diquigiovanni-Androni) - s.t.
70. Fabio Negri (Ita - LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) - s.t.
71. Andrea Masciarelli (Ita - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - s.t.
72. Simone Masciarelli (Ita - Acqua & Sapone-Mokambo) - s.t.
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