Pellizotti is back racing

frenchfighter

Today. In Trofeo Melinda.

Looks odd.



Only 29 finishers of 104 starters.

He came 5th.



Rebellin came 4th.

iainf72

Great.

Why don't you piss off and bully some other marine creatures Dolphin?

frenchfighter

In case you forgot what he looked like back in the day:

timoid.

Just surprised Rebellin isn't also riding for Savio.

Is there anyone he won't sign?

rick_chasey

Timoid. wrote:

Just surprised Rebellin isn't also riding for Savio.

Is there anyone he won't sign?

Me.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Now I am confused. This guy only got banned for irregular passport values and nothing to do with a doping product. He comes back and scores an amazing result against pros who have been racing for most of the last two years.

Regardless, winning a 250km race against the best in the World, and not from a sprint is heavyweight.

Only 20 finishers. Tough. And Scarpo went for a long solo before Pellizotti solo'd to win.





1. Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli) les 254 km en 6h43'12" (37,8 km/h)
2. Danilo Di Luca (Acqua & Sapone) à 27 sec.
3. Moreno Moser (Liquigas-Cannondale) m.t. - NEO PRO HEAVYWEIGHT
4. Giampaolo Caruso (Team Katusha) m.t.
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) à 2'11"
6. Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) à 2'13"
7. Simone Ponzi (Astana) à 2'30"
8. Daniele Ratto (Liquigas-Cannondale) à 3'11"
9. Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) m.t.
10. Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) m.t.

Franco Pellizotti scored an emphatic victory in the Italian road championships, returning from his two-year ban for irregular biological passport values to solo to his first tricolore. Danilo Di Luca was second from the chasing group.

Now riding for Androni Giocattoli, Pellizotti attacked an elite group which had bridged up to the solo move of Michele Scarponi. He left behind Liquigas-Cannondale duo Moreno Moser and Vincenzo Nibali, Scarponi and Katusha's Giampaolo Caruso en route to the win.
“Anyone who knows me will know how hard I tried in that last kilometre,” Pellizotti said. “At 400 metres to go, I knew I’d won and was able to enjoy it. I wish that it could have never ended.

“I must thank Androni for the great trust they have shown in me. After they confirmed my appointment I was able to train in the best possible way for this race.”

Scarponi had a lead of almost a minute-and-a-half with two laps of the course and 27km to go, but saw his advantage quickly eradicated as the race hurtled towards its conclusion. He was eventually swallowed up by the three podium finishers, Nibali and Caruso just ahead of the beginning of the final lap.

Pellizotti then attacked almost immediately as the riders started to climb for the final time. Caruso was the only rider who was capable of going with him and the duo formed a leading pair for a few kilometres before Pellizotti, who was easily the fresher man, turned the screw and piled on the pressure until Caruso cracked.

Caruso quickly came back to Di Luca and Moser, who eventually overtook him and took their places on the podium. Both Nibali and Scarponi, whose minds were probably several hundred miles north in Liege, where the Tour de France starts next weekend. Nibali had publicly played down his chance of winning here in the build up the race, having spent some punishing hours on the Passo San Pellegrino as part of a training camp ahead of the Tour de France.

Di Luca bettered his previous best finish at the championships (3rd place in 2009) while Moser’s performance offered up further evidence that he could be the next best thing in Italian cycling, belying his tender years at the age of 21.

This year’s renewal was a particularly brutal one, with only 20 riders finishing the race.

blazing_saddles

It's heavyweight something, all right. :roll:
The guy is back a month, after two years out and riding away from all and sundry.
So much for the theory of needing racing time, after a long layoff, to achieve good form.

I don't normally have an issue with old dopers return to the peloton, but in this case, I can't help but feel that outside of Italy, the perception of him racing in the champion's jersey is bound to be negative.

Oh and that pose in the Tricolore is quite, quite...............................gay.

Vino'sGhost

ees great champion make triumphant return you is doubt?

I cheer when recognise true champion

like wigging

AVE
CALVES

RichN95.

He's 34, so won't have too long left in the sport anyway and he can't ruin his reputation, so he may as well take the p!ss and go for it. And his team don't care.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Pretty good ride for him in Burgos. Very tough day today with Henao nearly taking the overall win from Moreno (he gained 22 secs on him where he lost 30 secs to him yesterday, mostly from a split due to heavy winds)

Final overall standings
1. Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha Team
2. Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky @ 10s
3. Johan Esteban Chaves (Col) Colombia-Coldeportes @ 16s
4. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela @ 50s
5. Javier Moreno (Spa) Movistar Team @ 58s
6. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank @ 1’03”
7. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team @ 1’09”
8. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale @ 1’28”
9. Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi @ 1’29”
10. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Argos-Shimano @ 1’43”