Coppi e Bartali Photos Mar 20 - 24

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Liquigas-Cannondale is always one of the stronger teams at this event (they won it in 2010). They brought winners from earlier in this year, Elia Viviani (3rd from right) and Trofeo Laigueglia winner Moreno Moser (far left)	The best team from last year; the diminutive, climbing squad of Androni Giocattoli. That's last year's overall winner, Emanuele Sella (second from the right) and the most recent Tour de Langkawi overall winner, Jose Serpa (fourth from the left)	Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) is a big question. He hasn't looked good since crashing out of the Tour de France last summer, but he is the biggest name at this year's event.
The RAI Moto crew including former Giro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli in the middle	Winner of six of ten stages at the recent Tour de Langkawi, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini)	Lampre's Adriano Malori last year's Italian ITT champion and the winner of the ITT at last year's Coppi e Bartali. Just 24 year old, he was also 5th overall last year.
Veterans Danilo di Luca and Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone). Lets hope it doesn't rain this week.	Endura Racing's Jonathan Tiernan - Locke sporting the UCI Europe Tour leader's jersey for the first time after getting off to a red hot start in February	Team Spidertech p/b C10 from Canada is representative of how international this race has become. Will Routley (right) helped drive today's break and finished 5th
Will Routley (Team Spidertech p/b C10) getting the winning break started with Sven Erik Bystrom (Team Oster Hus) and Andrea Palini (Team Idea) 7 kms into the stage	The break gained more riders and lost a few	Farnese Vini at the front of the peloton attempting to reel in the break on the rolling circuits
The peloton misjudges the break; the bunch sprint in full flight just seconds ahead of the peloton	Unlike previous opening stage finishes in Riccione, the break succeeds	Andrea Palini (Ita) Team Idea, part of the original break, holds off his breakmates and the chasing peloton. Will Routley (right, Team Spidertech p/b C10) who did a lot of work in the break still finished 5th
23 year-old neo-pro Andrea Palini (Team Idea) happy about his first pro win	A new name in Italian cycling? Your stage 1 winner, Andrea Palini (Team Idea)	Andrea Palini (Team Idea) scooped up all four classification jerseys on the first day. He'll be warm tomorrow. (He won the only KOM)

Stage 2:  2ab Gatteo RR and TTT  Full Results and Report

Technically speaking, Team Idea's Andrea Palini showed up wearing all the leaders' jerseys today	Endura Racing's Jonathan Tiernan - Locke sporting the UCI Europe Tour leader's jersey	Endura Racing's Jonathan Tiernan - Locke is looking ahead to the hilly stage 4 in Pavullo
Start line panoramic in Gatteo	Make way for the Lamborghini police car	The mayor of Gatteo and other local dignitaries had the start line honors
The scenic neutral roll out from Gatteo	Jeffry Louder (UnitedHealthcare) leading the way up the 350m Sogliano climb at the half way point of the 100 km loop	Peloton panorama here led by Acqua e Sapone
		Sprint finish as expected once the race returned to Gatteo
Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale wins in 2:21:08 ahead of 2nd Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Team Nippo and 3rd Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox		Your stage 2a podium, 2nd Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Team Nippo, 1st Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale and 3rd Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox
Yesterday's winner, Team Idea's Andrea Palini, finished 4th in the sprint today and retains leader's jersey	Speedster photo-op. (Elia Viviani is on the right)	The afternoon Stage 2b team time trial was won by Team Netapp
1st Team Netapp, 14.9 km in 16'28"30 (54,290 kmh)	On their way to winning by 12s over Endura Racing	Endura Racing's Jonathan Tiernan - Locke sporting the UCI Europe Tour leader's jersey pulling off. Endura Racing was 2nd + 8s.
The mountain men of Androni Giocattoli were 3rd, + 15s	Acqua e Sapone was 4th, + 17s	We really need an inverse Wimbledon rule for cycling. There is just way too much white in this kit
Wow, who would have thought that of the three ProTour teams in this race, Liquigas' 5th place performance at + 25s was the best of them.	Your stage 2b winners, Team Netapp
New race leader, Cesare Benedetti (Netapp)

Stage 3:  Fiorano Modenese → Levizzano, 151 km  Full Results and Report

You got to love a race director that doesn't mind having dogs on the scene; Coppi e Bartali's main man Adrian Amici	The morning sign-in. Androni Giocattoli (lining up) were one of the aggressive teams and just wait until tomorrow.	Spidertech in the start area
The jersey leaders with the race director ready to roll out from Fiorano Modenese for a 151 km hilly stage	Netapp on the front for race leader Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp)	UnitedHealthcare was very aggressive today attacking and covering attacks. This is Christopher Jones off the front.
Today's stage featured two cat 2 climbs in the first half	Climb panoramic	There were numerous attacks, but the longest and most threatening was from Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) and Astana's Dmitriy Fofonov
Endura Racing's Jonathan Tiernan - Locke didn't have it today. He would lose over 2 minutes.	The peloton descending	UnitedHealthcare animated the front and the rear of the race today
Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli), last year's overall winner, indicating the break wasn't going to succeed	Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) attacking near the finish but he was (temporarily) brought back. The fifth and final time through Levizzano (modest 3km at 3% uphill sprint finish)	Diego Ulissi's final attack around the final corner succeeds after Rory Sutherland jumped first
22-year old Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) wins the slight uphill finish in Levizzano ahead of 2nd Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) and 3rd Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone)	Last year Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) was 2nd overall and later won Stage 17 at the Giro d'Italia (photos). Race leader Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp) finished in the peloton and retains the race lead.	Your stage 3 podium, 2nd Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare), 1st Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) and 3rd Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone)
Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp) retains the race lead, but he'll be in tough for the Queen Stage tomorrow. Stage 4 Queen Stage preview now posted

Stage 4:  Pavullo → Pavullo, 159 km  Full Results and Report

Alexandr Vinokurov (Astana) still hasn't found his form, but he still has time for his fans. He was 72nd today more than 12 minutes back	The solemn start	The rollout in nice Spring conditions
Colombia - Coldeportes's Dalivier Ospina Navarro was on a solo attack when he needed a bike change	These four rider then joined up with him	Netapp at the front of the peloton. They successfully protected the race lead today although another one of their teammates is now the race leader
Panoramic of this Apennines mountain stage	Team Androni Giocattoli now at the front	On the final climb (5 km of 9.2%), yesterday's winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) attacked the small group that was left
Danilo di Luca (Acqua e Sapone) then towed a small group up to him	These four riders (along with Josè Rujano (Androni Giocattoli)) reached the top together before the flat run to the finish: Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd), Josè Serpa Perez (Androni Giocattoli), Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago Csf) and Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone)	Josè Rujano (Androni Giocattoli), second from left, was caught by the others at the finish who were joined by Bartosz Huzarski (Team NetApp), far right, for the bunch sprint in Pavullo nel Frignano
Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) wins for second day in a row. Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone) was 2nd and Bartosz Huzarski (Team NetApp) was 3rd	Further up the road you can see a group of 13 riders about to cross 7 seconds later	Two wins in two days, but it isn't enough to take over the race lead because Lampre-ISD had a poor TTT on the second day
Your stage 4 podium: 2nd Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone), 1st Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd) and 3rd Bartosz Huzarski (Team NetApp)	Paolo Bettini awarded Diego Ulissi with the points classification jersey	... while Alfredo Martini awarded him the best young rider jersey
On the strength of the team time trial and consistently good results afterwards in the road stages, Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) is the new race leader by 10s over Danilo Di Luca (Acqua e Sapone) and 11s over Diego Ulissi (Lampre Isd). The former Polish national TT champ should be able to close out the win with the 14.3 km Crevalcore TT on Saturday.