Liquigas
in pink: First Gasparotto, then Di Luca, then Gasparotto again
Tuesday 15th May, 2007
by Martin Williamson
The Liquigas team has certainly left its
mark in the first stages of the Giro d'Italia.
The "Green Machine" took first
place in last Saturday's team time trial that opened the 90th edition
of the pink race. The first to cross the finish line in La Maddalena
was the ex-Italian National Champion Enrico Gasparotto who took an
unexpected pink jersey.
Captain Di Luca – who's enjoying superb
form at the moment, as proved by his recent win in Liège –
however, hasn't waited long before stating his Giro ambitions.
Di Luca takes the lead
after stage 2.
After just twenty four hours, he was the
new pink jersey at the end of stage 2 (Tempio Pausania – Bosa)
which was won by veteran Robbie McEwen.
Yesterday's stage three saw Gasparotto reclaim
the maglia rosa, as the sum of stage placings determines the leader
when both riders are on the same time.
The general ranking – including after Di
Luca five Liquigas men (in the following order Gasparotto, Noè,
Pellizotti, Nibali and Wegelius) – confirms the excellent time
the team is going through.
Gasparotto hammered
into the last few corners of the TTT, putting 10 lengths into Di Luca
- a gap which, even though Enrico was cruising to the line, Danilo
couldn't close.
After the first three stages of the Giro, the Liquigas
win tally for the year is now at 15.
"The results we've obtained come from
a very good teamwork," comments team manager Stefano Zanatta.
"Winning a team time trial means having a great synchronism
and harmony, as we have been proving for a long time."
Without hiding his ambitions, Danilo Di Luca declared
himself "surprised at such a pink jersey. It comes almost
unforeseen. Yesterday the team plans were to favour Pellizotti, but
the crash that occurred with a few hundred meters to the finish line
in Bosa involved Pellizotti and Nibali, which upset our plan. So I
found myself in the front with the lead riders. Now I will do my best
to honour the maglia rosa."
Gasparotto - in
pink but working for Di Luca.
For his part Enrico Gasparotto - the best young
rider in the race – is very satisfied: "Such a debut
in the first stage of my first Giro d'Italia was absolutely unexpected:
wearing at once the pink jersey then the white one is a unique emotion.
Now, even more motivated than before, I am at my captain's entire
disposal."
Good to have that cleared up then.
