Stage 1: Melito → Catanzaro Full Results and Report
| 
The sunny start in Melito di Porto Salvo, the southernmost city in mainland Italy | 
164 km later, Lampre's Daniele Pietropolli wins the familiar uphill finishing route into Catanzaro | 
Stage 1 results: 1st Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre-ISD), 2nd Fabio Taborre (Acqua & Sapone), 3rd Serpa José Perez (Androni GIocattoli) | 
Damiano Cunego congratulates his teammate. Cunego drove the pace at the base of the gradual uphill finish. | 
Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) put in a dig near the finish but ended up 10th | 
What this event lacks in prestige it makes up for in hardware | 
Stage 1 podium, L-to-R: 2nd Fabio Taborre (Acqua & Sapone), 1st Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre-ISD), 3rd Serpa José Perez (Androni GIocattoli) | 
RAI Sport's Andrea de Luca interviewing the winner as part of RAI's daily delayed broadcast of the event | 
The top young rider was 5th place Damiano Caruso (Liquigas-Cannondale) in the same time as the winner | 
Daniele Pietropolli in the powder blue race leader's jersey presented by race director Antonello Careri. Pietropolli won the overall leader's jersey on the last day in 2008 while riding for LPR. |
Stage 2: Soverato → Vibo Valentia Full Results and Report
| 
It was raining at the start in Soverato. The Wilches brothers, Juan and Norberto, possibly wondering why they aren't back Colombia at this time of the year. | 
Italians like Damiano Cunego weren't looking forward to a long, cold, wet day in the rain either. | 
And they're off... | 
... after a 195 km coast-to-coast ride, the weather hasn't improved at the finish some 5 hours and 20 minutes later in Vibo Valentia | 
The Cat, Oscar Gatto, was one of the last riders to join the decisive break that split the peloton, but was first to the line | 
The photo finish | 
1st Oscar Gatto (ITA/Farnese Vini) and 2nd place Daniel Oss (ITA/Liquigas) under his left out-stretched arm | 
Lampre's Daniele Pietropolli finished 4th with the main group and will take a 6s lead over Jose Serpa and 9s lead over Daniel Oss into the final stage | 
Danilo Napolitano, riding for Acqua e Sapone this year, didn't make the split and finished more than 10 minutes back | 
Stage 2 podium: L-to-R, 2nd Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale, 1st Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini, 3rd Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-ISD | 
Despite appearances, Daniele Pietropolli stands a good chance of winning his second Reggio Calabria title tommorow. See the stage 3 preview. |
Stage 3: Pizzo Calabro → Reggio Calabria Full Results and Report
| 
The race leader, Daniele Pietropolli, and his more famous Lampre teammate Damiano Cunego at the start in Pizzo Calabro overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is the time of the year when team leaders help their domestiques to wins of lesser glory. | 
The finish in Reggio Calabria after 172 km of racing was much more strung out than in previous years | 
Italy's Manuel Belletti (Colnago-CSF Inox) had plenty of time to celebrate | 
The (not so) photo finish | 
You may remember Manuel Belletti from his hometown win at stage 13 of last year's Giro d'Italia (photos) | 
| 
| 
Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Miche was 6th today for 11th overall | 
Stage 3 podium L-to-R: 2nd Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Acqua & Sapone, 1st Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox and 3rd Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | 
Now a two-timer, but Daniele Pietropolli's overall win this year was less dramatic than in 2008... | 
The dramatic finale to the 2008 race |
|
Email This • 
Mail This • 
Tweet • • 
• 
