Tirreno Adriatico Stage 1
Bettini emerged triumphant in the sprint at Tivoli with companions on the podium, Erik Zabel and Thor Hushvod. A day long break again captured by Quick Step and Milram in the closing kilometres.

Bettini, Zabel, Hushvod at the finish     photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

With 4 kilometres to go Quick Step and Milram were at the head of affairs to set up their sprinters. Bettini drove the sprint from 200 metres up a 6% gradient to the finish for the win. Erik Zabel stood in for his Milram mate, Ale-jet who finished in the second group to pick up the second podium step.

Filippo Simeoni leads Priamo and Rojas in the escape photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

The days race saw an escape by Filippo Simeoni  (Naturino-Sapore di Mare) at the 4km marker and he was soon joined by Jose Joaquin Rojas (Liberty Seguro), and Matteo Priamo (Panaria/Navigare) with 163 kms to go on the Tivoli circuit. Like the ill fated early breaks in the recent Paris Nice race the break, even though the ambition triumvirate gained over 9 minutes on the peloton with 126kms to go.

By the 17 km to go the now eager peloton with Milram and Quick Step at the head of affairs pressing the chase had the gap to 1:30 and by the 10km the fugitives were only one minute away from a charging chase. Attacks rained down at the head of the group with as Simeoni looked to be the only rider to have the strength to resist the charge.
Baguet, Bates and Ascani were the next to attack the group after it collected the break at 4kms. Petacchi was active at the front, with Eric Zabel on his wheel chasing down the attacks, most of which only gained a few hard earned metres and were brought back promptly.

Gruppo in Azzione  photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

Four kilometers to go and it was gruppo compatto. All the favorites were showing themselves at the front, and they had too! The finale was a 'gentle' uphill that would cause some time gaps if the GC men were not alert. Astarloa, Flecha, Garzelli, Ballan, and others were all in the mix. It was amazing to see Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) up front setting a rhythm for Zabel, even chasing down small attacks. At one km Michael Boogerd of Rabobank attacked but was picked up as the Milram and Quickstep blue trains exploded to the finish line.

At 200 metres it was Bettini, Zabel doing a fast close, but denied again, and Thor Hushvod leading the field to the line.

Bettini with the yellow and red leaders Jersey photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

“I knew this arrival well," said Bettini. "...The finish favored me, my form is great, my team have worked perfectly and made no mistakes."

Petacchi commented, Today we decided to work for Erik, who has already won here and is more suited for the finish. I tried to give my best, but it was not enough today. Tomorrow is another occasion for him and I hope to return the favor he did for me at the Giro de Provincia di Lucca this week.
I started the sprint too late to pass Bettini. My speed was good in the last 50metres and would played perfectly with a little more space to the line. Petacchi did all he could to see that I was in position to win. Tomorrow is a another day that will be a day suited to me with the climb less than ten kms from the finish, commented Zabel.

Filippo Simeoni was satisfied with the days effort, "I felt my legs were good, but unfortunately not such good luck. I had good companions in the escape and we worked well together... I am on my home roads here and I will try to the end of the race as I am in good physical condition and I feel I grow stronger each day, my moment will arrive.

Tirreno Adriatico Stage 1 Tivoli Circuit
167 Km 40.254 Km/h  4:08'55
  1   BETTINI Paolo   ITA  QUICK STEP-INNER 4:08'45 (10*)
  2   ZABEL Erik  GER TEAM MILRAM 4:08'49 (6*)
  3   HUSHOVD Thor   NOR CREDIT AGRICOLE  4:08'51(4*)
=============== * after time bonus :10 ==============
  4   KHALILOV Mikhaylo  UKR LPR TEAM L.P.R. 
  5   REBELLIN Davide  ITA GST GEROLSTEINER 
  6   GARZELLI Stefano  ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS 
  7   BALLAN Alessandr ITA LAM LAMPRE-FONDITAL 
  8   MAZZANTI Luca  ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVI
  9   RICCO Riccardo  ITA SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 
10   FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar   ESP RAB RABOBANK 
11   ASTARLOA Igor  ESP BAR BARLOWORLD 
12   WEGMANN Fabian  GER GST GEROLSTEINER 
13   NOCENTINI Rinaldo  ITA ASA ACQUA E SAPONE 
14   KROON Karsten  CSC TEAM CSC 
15   VICIOSO A Angel  ESP LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH 
16   AREKEEV Alexander  RUS ASA ACQUA E SAPONE 
17   GENTILI Massimili  ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 
18   O'GRADY Stuart   AUS CSC TEAM CSC 
19   HINCAPIE George  USA DSC DISCOVERY CHANNEL 
20   MORI Manuele   SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 
21   MURN Uros   PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 
22   GUTIERREZ Ignacio  ESP PHO PHONAK  
23   BERTAGNOL Leonardo  ITA COF COFIDIS 
24   BERNUCCI Lorenzo  ITA TMO T-MOBILE  
25   ARVESEN Kurt Asle  NOR CSC TEAM CSC 
26   BELLOTTI Francesco  ITA C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE 
27   JAKSCHE Jorg  GER LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH 
28   ISASI FLO Inaki   ESP EUS EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 
29   BASSO Ivan   ITA CSC TEAM CSC 
30   LOPEZ GAR David  ESP EUS EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 
31   WESEMANN Steffen  GER TMO T-MOBILE TEAM 
32   VOGONDY Nicolas   FRA C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE 
33   MOLETTA Andrea  ITA GST GEROLSTEINER 
34   GILBERT Philippe BEL FDJ FRANCAISE DES JEUX 
35   SCARPONI Michele   ITA LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH 
36   RIGHI Daniele  ITA LAM LAMPRE-FONDITAL 
37   KOPP David  GER GST GEROLSTEINER 
38   BOOGERD Michael   NED RAB RABOBANK 
39   AGNOLI Valerio  ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 
40   DEKKER Thomas  NED RAB RABOBANK 
41   GASPERONI Christian  ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI 
42   KLIER Andreas  GER TMO T-MOBILE TEAM 
43   ZABALLA G Constanti  ESP CEI CAISSE D'EPARGNE-ILLES B 
44   MONNERAIS Cyrille 8 FRA FDJ FRANCAISE DES JEUX 
45   TONTI Andrea   ITA ASA ACQUA E SAPONE 
46   BERTOGLIA Rubens  SUI SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 
47   SABIDO Hugo  POR BAR BARLOWORLD 
48   GRABSCH Bert  GER PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 
50 SOLER Mauricio    ASA ACQUA E SAPONE 4:08'55 10
51 CARUSO Giampaolo   LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH 
52  PENA GRIS Victor Hu 74 COL PHO PHONAK 
53 TANKINK Bram  NED QSI QUICK STEP-INNERGETIC 
54 KOHL Bernhard  AUT TMO T-MOBILE TEAM
55 PELLIZOTT Franco   ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS 4:08'55 10
56 MOINARD Amael 82 FRA COF COFIDIS 4:08'55 10
57 TRENTIN Guido  ITA SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 
58 LE MEVEL Christoph  FRA C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE 
59 GESLIN Anthony   FRA BTL BOUYGUES TELECOM 
60 GUESDON Frederic  FRA FDJ FRANCAISE DES JEUX 
61 MURAGLIA Giuseppe  ITA LPR TEAM L.P.R. 
62 HESJEDAL Ryder  CAN PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 
63 SAVOLDELL Paolo  ITA DSC DISCOVERY CHANNEL 
64 BARRY Michael  CAN DSC DISCOVERY CHANNEL 
65 DANIELSON Thomas  USA DSC DISCOVERY CHANNEL 
66 LEIPHEIME Levi  USA GST GEROLSTEINER 
67 MORENI Cristian   ITA COF COFIDIS 
68 ARREITUNA Pedro ESP BAR BARLOWORLD 
69  HINAULT Sebastien   FRA C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE 
70 SELLA Emanuele 81 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAV
71 CALZATI Sylvain 79 FRA A2R AG2R PREVOYANCE 
72 FERNANDEZ Bingen 72 ESP COF COFIDIS 
73 KRIVTSOV Yuriy 79 UKR A2R AG2R PREVOYANCE 
74 VAN PETEG Peter 70 BEL DVL DAVITAMON-LOTTO 
75 IVANOV Serguei 75 RUS TMO T-MOBILE TEAM 
76 LEUKEMANS Bjorn 77 BEL DVL DAVITAMON-LOTTO 
77 ASCANI Luca 83 ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 
78 LASTRAS G Pablo 76 ESP CEI CAISSE D'EPARGNE-ILLES B 
79 IANNETTI Massimo 82 ITA LPR TEAM L.P.R. 4:08'55 10
80 RAST Gregory 80 SUI PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 
81 CORIONI Claudio 82 ITA LAM LAMPRE-FONDITAL 
82 FLECHA GI Juan Anto 77 ESP RAB RABOBANK 
======================= 4:09 @ :26 ================
83 PAOLINI Luca 77 ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS 4:09'11 26
84 CRAKE Paul 76 AUS NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 
85 ZAMPIERI Steve   SUI PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 
86 GERARD Arnaud  FRA FDJ FRANCAISE DES JEUX 
87 NOZAL Isidro   LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH TE 4:09'17 32
88 ALBIZU LI Joseba 78 ESP EUS EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 4:09'24 39
89 HORRILLO Pedro 74 ESP RAB RABOBANK 4:09'24 39
90 DI LUCA Danilo 76 ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS 4:09'24 39
91 GRILLO Paride 82 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVIGAR 
92 BALIANI Fortunato 74 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVI
93  FISCHER Murilo An 79 BRA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MA
94 MACCANTI Michele 79 ITA LPR TEAM L.P.R. 4:09'24 39
95  ZAUGG Oliver 81 SUI SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 4:09'24 39
96  PETACCHI Alessandr 74 ITA MRM TEAM MILRAM 4:09'24 39
97 PEREZ ROD Luis 74 ESP COF COFIDIS 4:09'24 39
98CHAURREAU Inigo 73 ESP A2R AG2R PREVOYANCE 4:09'24 39
99 POZZATO Filippo 81 ITA QSI QUICK STEP-INNERGETIC 4:09'24 39
100 CONTRINI Daniele 74 ITA LPR TEAM L.P.R. 4:09'24 39
101  SCHRECK Stephan 78 GER TMO T-MOBILE TEAM 4:09'24 39
102 URWEIDER Sascha  SUI PHO PHONAK HEARING SYSTEM 4:09'24 39
103 PEREZ MOR Ruben 81 ESP EUS EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 4:09'24 39
104 RAMIREZ A Javier 78 ESP LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH   39
105 MENGIN Christoph 68 FRA FDJ FRANCAISE DES JEUX   39
106 ERVITI Imanol 83 ESP CEI CAISSE D'EPARGNE-ILLES B 4:09'33 48

Mountain Points:
1  PRIAMO Matteo 82 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVIGARE 5
2  ROJAS GIL Jose Joaq 85 ESP LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH   3
3  SIMEONI Filippo 71 ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 2
4  MARZOLI Ruggero 76 ITA LAM LAMPRE-FONDITAL

Points:
1  BETTINI Paolo 74 ITA QSI QUICK STEP-INNERGETIC 12
2  ZABEL Erik 70 GER MRM TEAM MILRAM 10
3  HUSHOVD Thor 78 NOR C.A CREDIT AGRICOLE 8
4  KHALILOV Mikhaylo 75 UKR LPR TEAM L.P.R. 7
5  REBELLIN Davide 71 ITA GST GEROLSTEINER 6
6  ROJAS GIL Jose Joaq 85 ESP LSW LIBERTY SEGUROS  5
7  GARZELLI Stefano 73 ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS 5
8 1 BALLAN Alessandr 79 ITA LAM LAMPRE-FONDITAL 4
9  MAZZANTI Luca 74 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAV  3
10  PRIAMO Matteo 82 ITA PAN CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVI 3
11  RICCO Riccardo 83 ITA SDV SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 2
12   SIMEONI Filippo 71 ITA NSM NATURINO-SAPORE   2
13  FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar 76 ESP RAB RABOBANK 1
14  FACCI Mauro 82 ITA BAR BARLOWORLD