[Giro 2003]Stages 1/2/3

[Giro Reporter]

Ok, I admit it, I slept in for the first three stages of this year's
Giro D'Italia. Too pooped from a nasty lingering cold to wrestle myself
out of bed and over to the coffee maker - the after effect of a few too
many miles and tad too little sleep.

Nevertheless, the trusty tape machine managed to catch the action.
Rather than go through the nuts and bolts of the first three stages
(which by now, you've probably already read about...dare I
say..."elsewhere"...)  So, here's the punk rock (i.e. short-fast-simple)
version of the first three stages.

Stage 1 - Lecce 201 km circuit

Cipo gunning for the big 4-OH! Binda's record to fall today. Flat, as
Flat as Flippin' Italy ever is! Go Zebras Go!  The start finds everyone
wearing helmets - Pantani pops off with some complaints.  Everyone's
nervous, but no drug busts and no dumb crashes as the gang makes a big
circle back into Lecce.  Mario's team looks OK, but not as dominant as
last year.  Fassa Bortolo riders muscle their way in and pull
Allessandro Petacchi up into trailing position.  The last zebra pulls
away as the road begins to straighten and Mario sees the line.  Then
Mario sees another rider pull up even and pass him.  Petacchi's speed
gets him to the line first.  Petacchi was Cipo's leadout man for the
World's in Belgium, but he will not play second fiddle in the Giro!  In
their wake, the sprinters gnash their teeth and falter.  Petacchi takes
the stage and the first Maglia Rosa!

1 - Allessandro Petacchi - Fassa Bortolo
2 - Mario Cipollini - Domina Vacanze
3 - Angelo Furlan - Alessio
4 - Isaac Galvez Lopez - Kelme
5 - Robbiwe McEwen - Lotto-Domo
6 - Graeme Brown - Ceramiche Panaria
7 - Jimmy Casper - FDJeux.com
8 - Dario Piere - Saeco
9 - Jan Svorada - Lampre
10 - Graziano Gasparre - De Nardi-Colpack

Stage 2 - Copernico - Matera - 177 km

Mario takes back a little pride by beating Petacchi to the first
InterGiro sprint point.  The heat beats down the efforts though, and the
speed dips down to 36 km/hr for the first 4 hours.  A little bit of a
rise in the road puts Fredy Gonzalez of Selle Italia onto the first GpM
(Italian for KoM) point, but also saws off Cipo as if were Ivan
Quaranta. None other than Mercatone Uno set the blistering pace after
the climb - under orders from the recently resurrected Marco Pantani.
Sensing the extra effort would not get him back in time, Cipo pulls the
plug on the zebras, and they moderate their loses but do not attempt to
reattach.  The wide flat finish found a speeding Aussie - Robbie McEwen
determined to cross the line first, which he did!  However, as they say
in beginning Physics classes, his horizontal vector also increased, much
to the chagrin of Alessio's Fabio Baldato - who taught key Italian
phrases to anyone in earshot as he waggled his finger at the Aussie. The
judges agreed with Baldato and relegated McEwen for irregular riding.
Petacchi follows the battling pair in at fourth, and retains the Maglia
Rosa. Oddly, a Cipo-less zebra takes second and another Panaria rider
finds himself up in the sprint finish.  Amazing for a team that
supposedly only had a great climber in Julio Perez. Also interestingly,
Stefano Garzelli notches into the top ten, immediately shadowed by
Francesco Casagrande.

1 - Fabio Baldato - Alessio
2 - Gabriele Colombo - Domina Vacanze
3 - Giuliano Figueras - Ceramiche Panaria
4 - Alessandro Petacchi - Fassa Bortolo
5 - Bernhard Eisel - FDJeux.com
6 - Vladimir Duma - Landouwkrediet-Colnago
7 - Stefano Garzelli - Caldirola-Sidermec
8 - Francesco Casagrande - Lampre
9 - Fabio Sacchi - Saeco
10 - Bo Hamburger - Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave


Stage 3 -

After another GpM effort by Fred Gonzalez, everyone thought they could
win the stage and a multiple number of attacks ensued as the peloton
raced down a twisting 10 km descent.  Robbie McEwen tried to breakaway,
gaining 10 seconds or so, while Petacchi did everything he possibly
could to claw his way back up to the Aussie. Chaos and panicked riding
brought sprinter's teams to the front.  But, the uphill sprint to the
line left the big men a bit flat, and Stefano Garzelli fires away to
take the win as the sprinters flail and suffer behind.  A clear
redemption for the talented rider who was ejected from last year's Giro
under relatively suspicious circumstances.  Casagrande recogizes a
serious challenge to the overall victory and scrambles into second
place, but Garzelli's victory gains him a 20 second time bonus, which
may have strategic significance when the fat crows come to roost in the
mountains. Petacchi outdoes himself to take 3rd. Gilberto Simoni even
realizes there's a race on and dips into the top ten.

1 - Stefano Garzelli - Vini Caldirola
2 - Fracesco Casagrande - Lampre
3 - Alessandro Petacchi - Fasso Bortolo
4 - Franco Pellizotti - Alessio
5 - Gabriele Colombo - Domina Vacanze
6 - Paolo Lanfranchi - Ceramiche Panario
7 - Gilberto Simoni - Saeco
8 - Serguei Gontchar - De Nardi-Colpack
9 - Andrea Noe - Alessio
10 - Graziano Gasparre - De Nardi-Colpack


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Tomorrow's Stage -

Stage 4 - Terme Luigiane - Vibo Valentia 170 km