May 24, 2004 – From the quaint port city of Porec/Parenzo to San Vandemicno
is 234K, the longest stage held in this year’s Giro. Roughly 40K into the stage, four men escaped staying away for an astonishing 188K together. The elder statesman of the pack Mario Scirea of Domina Vacanze was joined by Italians, Daniele Righi (Lampre) and Giancarlo Ginestri, as well as Aussie, Russell Van Haut (Colombia-Selle Italia).
Once brought back into the group’s sights the Fassa Bortolo team again lit up the finishing straight, delivering Allesandro Petacchi to his eighth victory, ahead of Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) who withdrew today to prepare for the Tour de France. Setting a new record of stage wins in one year at the Tour, Petacchi has easily been the revelation, certainly succeeding Cippolini as the new “King of the Sprints”.
Results
1. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo, 5.59.52
(40.515 km/h)
2. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
3. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4. Andris Nauduzs (Lat) Domina Vacanze
5. Alexandre Usov (Blr) Phonak Hearing Systems
6. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo
7. Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi
8. Simone Cadamuro (Ita) De Nardi
9. Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre
10. Luciano Pagliarini (Bra) Lampre
11. Graziano Gasparre (Ita) De Nardi
12. Alberto Loddo (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
13. Cristian Moreni (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi
14. Marco Zanotti (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie
15. Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
16. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) FDJeux.com
17. Bostjan Mervar (Slo) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave’
18. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
19. Raffaele Illiano (Ita) Colombia-Selle Italia
20. Maxim Rudenko (Ukr) Chocolade Jacques Wincor-Nixdorf
General classification after stage 15
1. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, 66.48.30
2. Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) De Nard, 0.03
3. Bradley McGee (Aus) FDJeux.com, 1.02
4. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saeco, 1.27
5. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi, 1.32
6. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Saeco, 1.48
7. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres, 2.30
8. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie, 2.31
9. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo, 2.36
10. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Lampre, 3.09
11. Cristian Moreni (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi , 3.24
12. Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres, 3.46
13. Andrea Noe’ (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi, 4.00
14. Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa) Lampre, 4.06
15. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems, 4.29