Italian National Championships -  Elite ITT
Marco Pinotti and Noemi Cantele win Italian National Time Trial Championships

Gabriele Bossisio, Marco Pinotti and Maurizio Bondo Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Marco Pinotti (Columbia/Highroad) and Giulia Donato (GS Verso L'Iride) won the elite men's and women's Italian National Championships in the Individual Time Trial discipline.

For the third year in a row and fourth time in his career, Columbia-Highroad’s Marco Pinotti has once again earned the right to wear the Italian national time trial champion’s jersey. Already the winner of the same event in 2005, 2007 and 2008, Pinotti’s third straight victory in the Italian national time trial championships came after he clocked a time of 39 minutes and 22 seconds for the 32.4 kilometre time trial, with the last part held on the famous Imola Formula One motor racing circuit.

Fastest at all the time checks, Pinotti finished 19 seconds ahead of Gabriele Bosisio and 1 minute 9 seconds ahead of Maurizio Biondo.

In the Elite Women's time trial Giulia Donato (GS Verso L'Iride) put a strong performance in the 17.5 kilometer course posting a speed of 43.791 km/h for a time of 23:58 taking almost a half minute out of second place finisher Susanna Zorzi (Avantec Artuso) and 31 seconds faster than Giorgia Marchesin (Cicli Zanella) who filled out the last step on the national championships podium.

Marco visits with national selector coach Ballerini. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

“I came out of the Giro d’Italia in very good shape,” Pinotti said later. “Then I deliberately didn’t do the Tour of Switzerland so I could focus on the Italian national championships. It was a course that suited me well, fast at the start and then afterwards a bit hillier when we got on the circuit.”

“The hardest part was handling the rain, it was the same for everybody but it made the course a bit dangerous - my back wheel slipped a couple of times.”

The last rider to start, Pinotti said he rode most of the race unaware of whether his times were good enough to get him the win.  “I knew that I was ahead after 12 kilometres, but that was it. Afterwards I just kept going, I’d done the course the day before so I knew roughly how to calculate my strength.”

Marco on the rain slicked road of the race circuit. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Pinotti’s fourth Italian time trial title makes him the outright record-holder for wins in the event. He was previously tied on victories with Marco Velo, who won in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Things didn't go as well for Lampre/NGC and Marzio Bruseghin  who had their fair share of bad luck in his attempt to regain the tri colore jersey of time trial champion he won in 2006. Marzio was having a good ride but had a fall that effected his best performance. Marzio was able to continue and returned to the bike and fought on. The time lost coulld not be made up and he finished in sixth place.

Lampre/NGC directeur sportif, Piovani commented after, "We are very sorry as a very good result that has vanished due to yet another bout of bad luck that will not leave us this year, I believe that without this fall Marzio would certainly been in the running for the victory after I saw  the first intermediate time of Pinotti. The fall occurred about 12 km from the start, while doing a curve Bruseghin entered wrong  and ended in a small ditch alongside the road."

" We tried to put him back on the original bike,  but then we had to replace the bike with the spare on the car because the first was damaged. This caused Marzio to lose an additional minute. Marzio was traveling well before the fall at an average of about 51 km/h and the first time was only only 33" from Pinotti. Again it was really a pity for the Team and Marzio."

Marco Pinotti with the fans after receiving his tri colore jersey.
Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

talian National Championships
Elite Men - Individual Time Trial
32.4 - 39:22 -  49.382
1. Marco Pinotti (Columbia Highoad) 39:22
2. Gabriele Bosisio (LPR Brakes) a 19"
3. Maurizio Biondo (Ceramica Flaminia/Bossini Docce) a 1'09"
4.Francesco Rivera (Amica Chips) a 1'25"
5. Matteo Montaguti (LPR Brakes/Farnese Vini) a 1'36"
6. Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre/'NGC) a 1'41"
7. Tiziano Dell'Antonia (CSF Group Navigare) a 1'49"
8. Luca Celli (Serramenti Diquigiovanni) a 1'51"
9. Diego Caccia (Barloworld) a 2'22";
10. Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) a 2'29"

Italian National Championships
Elite Women - Individual Time Trial
 27.3 km - 38:12 - 37.853
1. Noemi Cantele (Team Bigla)   38’12”,
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Gs Fiamme Azzurre) a 1’10”;
3. Silvia Valsecchi (Selle Italia Ghezzi) a 1’38”
4. Manuela Azzini (Gauss Rdz) a 1’39”
5. Monia Baccaille (Gs Fiamme Azzurre) a 1’47”
6. Valentina Carretta (Top Girls) a 1’57”
7. Laura Doria ( Verso l’Iride) a 2’07”
8. Stefania Vecchio (Cicli Fiorin) a 3’09”
9. Gloria Presti (Selle Italia Ghezzi) a 3’36”
10. Irene Falorni (Vaiano Roverauto) a 3’38”

Italian National Championships
Junior Women - Individual Time Trial
17.5 km - 23:58 - 43.791 km/h
1. Giulia Donato (GS Verso L'Iride)  23'58"
2. Susanna Zorzi (Avantec Artuso) a 28"
3. Giorgia Marchesin (Cicli Zanella) a 31"
4. Chiara Capuzzo (GS Verso l'Iride) a 35"
5. Anna Trevisi (Avantec) a 48"
6. Francesca Stefani (GS Potentia) a 51"
7. Valentina Dal Bon (Cristoforetti) a 53"
8. Giulia Ronchi (Team Desanzanese) a 1'05"
9. Chiara Bissoli Favaron (Ju Sport Gorla Minore) a 1'05"
10. Claudia Fabian (Team Buderus) a 1'12"

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