Tirreno Adriatico Stage 3
Bettini withdraws after crash. Oscar Freire scorches Astarloa in the final sprint to take his first victory of the year and the Tirreneo Adriatico leaders jersey. report and photos

41rst Tirreno Adriatico
Stage 3 Avezzano to Paglieta 183 Kms
It was a dramatic 183-kilometer third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico between Avezzano and Paglieta. On a cold day the with snow in the hills anything could happen and it did.
Halfway through the stage race leader Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) was involved in a crash and had to abandon the race. The crash came at the 80km mark at about half way into the stage and included Tonti, Righi, Albizuri and Bak, Bettini and Bak were forced to withdraw because of injuries.

 
Tirreno Adriatica Passagio GPM                 Photoreporter Serotti

Bettini down...                             photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

After examination at the hospital Bettini was treated for his injuries, he had no broken bones but it is uncertain if he will be ready to race in Milan San Remo next week.
After back to back victories in the first two stages today's stage might have had a different ending, as it was. it was Oscar Freire last years winner launching a fierce sprint to the finish to secure the stage victory and get the leaders jersey to defend this year.

The finish                              photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

Freire's attack to the finish snatched the victory from Igor Astarloa of Barloworld, with Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval/Prodir) Third. Rinaldo  Nocentini (Aqua e Sapone) and Allesandro Ballan (Lampre Fondital). The blue jersey of Milram worn by Ale-Jet Petacchi can be seen in the photo above finishing sixth.

The main action of the day was a break after the crash Righi (Liquigas-Bianchi),Crake (Naturino Sapore), Moreni (Cofidis), Albizu (Euskaltel),Tankink (Quick Step) joined Di Luca, and breakmates Urweider (Phonak) and Priamo (Ceramiche/Panaria) in what would end up being a failed effort as Petacchi, Zabel and the Milram team took to the front to chase limiting their success to a never more than a minute.

The break was brought back as they arrived at the finishing circuit in Paglieta. A few more attacks ensued but none could get an advantage with Milram and Rabobank driving down every attempt.

Juan Antonio Flecha congratulates Oscar after the finish. photo c. Fotoreporter Serotti

At the finish it was perfectly timed sprint by Freire and company for his first victory this year in the Piazza Martiri Lancianesi.

CSC on Lars Bak, ”Even though it was quite painful for Lars, he got away with cuts and bruises,” team doctor Joost De Maeseneer reported.

Team CSC had Karsten Kroon and Kurt-Asle Arvesen in the group right behind Freire and in the next group was Ivan Basso.
”You can't blame us for being lucky at the moment, even though we have to be glad Lars didn't get seriously injured, cause it was a really bad crash. Everything is open in this race, and I think Rabobank will try to keep the peloton together during tomorrow's long stage. After Sunday's time trial we will see a completely different top GC,” said sports director Tristan Hoffman.

41rst Tirreno Adriatico
Stage 3 Results:
Avezzano Paglieta 183 Kms (41.067 km/h)
  1 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar   RABOBANK 4:27'22 0 10
  2 ASTARLOA Igor  BARLOWORLD 4:27'22 0 6
  3 RICCO Riccardo   SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 4:27'22 0 4
  4 NOCENTINI Rinaldo   ACQUA E SAPONE 4:27'22 0
  5 BALLAN Alessandro   LAMPRE-FONDITAL 
  6 PETACCHI Alessandro  TEAM MILRAM 
  7 REBELLIN Davide   GEROLSTEINER 
  8 MAZZANTI Luca   CERAMICA PANARIA-NAV 
  9 DEKKER Thomas   RABOBANK 
10 GENTILI Massimiliano  NATURINO-SAPORE 
11 JAKSCHE Jorg   LIBERTY SEGUROS
12 BERTAGNOLLI Leonardo   COFIDIS 
13 BOOGERD Michael   RABOBANK 
14 BAGUET Serge   QUICK STEP-INNER  4:27'29 7
15 GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio   PHONAK   4:27'29 7
16 GARZELLI Stefano   LIQUIGAS 4:27'31 9
17 ARREITUNANDIA   Pedro   BARLOWORLD 4:27'31 9
18 BERNUCCI Lorenzo  T-MOBILE TEAM 4:27'31 9
19 CARUSO Giampaolo   LIBERTY SEGUROS  4:27'31 9
20 VICIOSO ARCOS A  LIBERTY SEGUROS  4:27'31 9
21 KROON Karsten   CSC 4:27'31 9
22 WEGMANN Fabian   GEROLSTEINER 4:27'31 9
23 LOPEZ GARCIA  EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 4:27'31 9
24 LEIPHEIMER Levi  GEROLSTEINER 4:27'31 9
25 DANIELSON Thomas   DISCOVERY   4:27'31 9
26 SAVOLDELLI Paolo  DISCOVERY  4:27'31 9
27 ARVESEN Kurt Asle   CSC 4:27'31 9
28 SCARPONI Michele  LIBERTY SEGUROS  4:27'31 9
29 LE MEVEL Christophe  CREDIT AGRICOLE 4:27'37 15
30 IANNETTI Massimo   L.P.R. 4:27'37 15
31 HINCAPIE George   DISCOVERY   4:27'37 15
32 KOHL Bernhard T-MOBILE TEAM 4:27'37 15
33 AGNOLI Valerio  NATURINO-SAPORE   4:27'37 15
34 GRABSCH Bert  PHONAK   4:27'37 15
35 ZABEL Erik 70   TEAM MILRAM 4:27'37 15
Abandons:
192 BETTINI Paolo  QUICK STEP-INNERGETIC 
213 BAK Lars Ytting   CSC NA TERZA TAPPA
87 KIRSIPUU Jaan   CREDIT AGRICOLE 
94 RODRIGUEZ Fred   DAVITAMON-LOTTO 
54 GALVEZ LOPEZ Isaac  CAISSE D'EPARGNE-ILLES 

Mountains Classification:
1   CONTRINI Daniele   TEAM L.P.R. 8
2  ROJAS GIL Jose   LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH   6
3   GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio   PHONAK   5
4   CHEULA Giampaolo BARLOWORLD 5
5   PRIAMO Matteo  CERAMICA PANARIA-NAVI 5
6  MOLETTA Andrea  GEROLSTEINER 3

Points Classification:
1  ZABEL Erik  TEAM MILRAM  20
2  FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar   RABOBANK 17
3  BALLAN Alessandro   LAMPRE-FONDITAL 17
4  KHALILOV Mikhaylo     TEAM L.P.R. 15
5   HUSHOVD Thor  CREDIT AGRICOLE 14
6   REBELLIN Davide    GEROLSTEINER 12

Team Classification:
1  RABOBANK 37:58'48 0
2  GEROLSTEINER 37:59'06 18
3  LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH TEAM 37:59'06 18
4  DISCOVERY CHANNEL 37:59'21 33
5   NATURINO-SAPORE DI MARE 37:59'24 36

General Classification:
1  FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar  RABOBANK 12:39'26 0
2   BALLAN Alessandro LAMPRE-FONDITAL 12:39'36 10
3   REBELLIN Davide  GEROLSTEINER 12:39'36 10
4   NOCENTINI Rinaldo   ACQUA E SAPONE 12:39'36 10
5   MAZZANTI Luca   PAN CERAMICA PAN  12:39'36 10
6  GENTILI Massimiliano  NATURINO-SAPORE  12:39'36 10
7   BERTAGNOLLI Leonardo   COFIDIS 12:39'36 10
8  JAKSCHE Jorg     SEGUROS-WURTH   12:39'36 10
9   BOOGERD Michael  RABOBANK 12:39'36 10
10  DEKKER Thomas  RABOBANK 12:39'36 10
============== :13 ==============
11  ZABEL Erik 70   TEAM MILRAM 12:39'39 13
12  GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio PHONAK  12:39'43 17
13   GARZELLI Stefano   LIQUIGAS 12:39'45 19
14   KROON Karsten   CSC 
15   WEGMANN Fabian   GEROLSTEINER 
16  VICIOSO ARCOS Angel  LIBERTY SEGUROS
17  ARVESEN Kurt Asle   CSC 
18  CARUSO Giampaolo  LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH  
19  BERNUCCI Lorenzo  T-MOBILE TEAM 
20  LOPEZ GARCIA David   EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 
21  SCARPONI Michele  LIBERTY SEGUROS-WURTH   
22   DANIELSON Thomas  DISCOVERY CHANNEL 
23   ARREITUNANDIA QUINTERO   BARLOWORLD 
24  LEIPHEIMER Levi  GEROLSTEINER 
============== 12:39'45 19 ==============
25  SAVOLDELLI Paolo   DISCOVERY CHAN 12:39'45 19
26  LE MEVEL Christophe CREDIT AGRICOLE 12:39'51 25
27  GRABSCH Bert   PHONAK   12:39'51 25
28  HINCAPIE George DISCOVERY CHANNEL 12:39'51 25
29   KOHL Bernhard   T-MOBILE TEAM 12:39'51 25
30   BERTOGLIATI  SDV SAUNIER DUVAL 12:39'51 25
31  FLECHA   Juan Antonio  RABOBANK 12:39'51 25
32   RIGHI Daniele  LAMPRE-FONDITAL 12:39'54 28
================ :31 ===============
33   AREKEEV Alexander  ACQUA E SAPONE 12:39'57 31
34  ISASI FLORES Inaki  EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 12:39'57 31
35  ZABALLA GUTIERREZ   CAISSE D'EPARGNE-  12:39'57 31
36   MOLETTA Andrea  GEROLSTEINER 12:39'57 31
37  GASPERONI Christian  NATURINO-SAPORE   12:39'57 31
38  GILBERT Philippe   FRANCAISE DES JEUX 12:40'04 38
39  BASSO Ivan 77   TEAM CSC 12:40'04 38
40  PENA GRISALES Victor   PHONAK  12:40'04 38
41   MURAGLIA Giuseppe   TEAM L.P.R. 12:40'04 38
42  HESJEDAL Ryder  PHONAK   12:40'04 38
43  HUSHOVD Thor  CREDIT AGRICOLE 12:40'08 42
44  KLIER Andreas   T-MOBILE TEAM 12:40'12 46
45   SABIDO Hugo   BARLOWORLD 12:40'12 46
46   PETACCHI   ITA MRM TEAM MILRAM 12:40'22 56
===============1:00 ============
 47   POZZATO Filippo  QUICK STEP-  12:40'26 1'00
48  RICCO Riccardo SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR 12:40'27 1'01
49  SOLER Mauricio  ACQUA E SAPONE 12:40'31 1'05
50  TRENTIN Guido  SAUNIER DUVAL-  12:40'44 1'18