The SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT team will take Riccardo Riccò and Leonardo Piepoli as the team leaders to the 91st Giro d´Italia, starting this Saturday. The Italian race will welcome team managers Pietro and Matteo Algeri and the following "red birds," who´ll accompany the co-leaders: Eros Capecchi, David Cañada, Iker Camaño, José Alberto Benítez, Raivis Belohvosciks, Luciano Pagliarini and neo-pro Ermanno Capelli, who´ll replace Manuele Mori, whose healing process due to a knee problem hasn´t finished yet. They´ll arrive in Palermo on Wednesday night to spend a few days this week in preparation for the first Grand Tour of 2008. Pietro Algeri believes Piepoli has good chances to achieve good results. He´s also confident that Riccò will do very well. The Italian rider was training in the steep Dolomites last week (see picture) and he hopes he´ll get better results than last year. He was 6th in the GC and took one of the queen stages. "Riccardo has recovered from the bronchial problems that affected him in the classics. We hope he´ll be blessed with fine weather so that he can get even better. His goals? Stepping up to the podium. Astana´s late-minute invite will make things harder, as they´re a very strong team. But Riccardo will try hard and have a successful Giro d´Italia, I´m sure. Piepoli will focus on high-mountain stages, and our other riders make up a balanced team who can work for the leaders and also notch up stage wins."
Megías steals the show in Asturias
Stage 3 of the 52nd Vuelta a Asturias was a 168-kilometre transition leg from Llanes to Avilés. It went to Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) after a mass sprint, while the GC is still led by Ángel Vicioso (LA Aluminios-MSS), with two "red birds" among the top ten: Del Nero (7th) and Cobo (8th). SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT´s big name in today´s race was Javier Megías, who was one of the ten men in the breakaway group which formed early and stayed ahead for over 100 kilometres. Thanks to their cooperation, the escapees gained up to 3´50" over the field, turning Megías into a virtual race leader on the road. Unfortunately, he was caught with 4 kilometres to go. Our man from Madrid has pushed teammate David de la Fuente down to second in the Sprints Classification, while Beñat Intxausti has kept his KOM jersey. Tomorrow, Asturias will have its queen stage: a 180.2-kilometre leg from Pravia to El Acebo, the HC uphill challenge conquered by both Alberto Fernández de la Puebla and Koldo Gil in a great one-two for Saunier Duval-Prodir last year. There´ll be two climbs before Alto del Acebo: Pozo de las Mujeres Muertas (cat-1, at Km. 97.9) and El Connio (HC, at Km. 139.7).
52nd VUELTA A ASTURIAS Results
Stage 3: 1. Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) 3:46:17; 2. Riccio (Tinkoff Credit Systems) s.t.; 3. Sobrino (Burgos Monumental) s.t.; ... 17. Cobo (SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT) s.t.; 27. Alarcón (SDS) s.t.; 37. Del Nero (SDS) s.t.; 66. Megías (SDS) s.t.; 87. Héctor González (SDS) at 0:21; 112. Intxausti (SDS) at 0:52; 122. Capelli (SDS) at 2:14; 124. De la Fuente (SDS) at 2:20.
General Classification: 1. Vicioso (LA Aluminios-MSS) 10:05:33; 2. Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) at 0:25; 3. Tondo (LA Aluminios-MSS) at 0:28; ... 7. Del Nero (SDS) at 1:49; 8. Cobo (SDS) at 2:01; 13. Megías (SDS) at 2:47; 33. Héctor González (SDS) at 4:02; 49. Alarcón (SDS) at 5:21; 57. De la Fuente (SDS) at 7:24; 106. Intxausti (SDS) at 20:54; 121. Capelli (SDS) at 24:27.
