Fuji-Servetto on Lead Roles with Cole Wheels at Switzerland and Italy

Italy's Francesco Ginanni from Diquigiovanni claimed the win at the 1st ever held Gran Premio dell'Insubria, a UCI 1.1 race covered around the Swiss city of Lugano on Saturday. Ginanni nothced up the win with his great speed after 173 kilometers, in a race where FUJI-SERVETTO's guise was seen thanks to the efforts of the Swedish rider Fredrik Kessiakoff, as part of the day's break along with Ronny Scholz (Milram) and David Loosli (Lampre), which kept before the peloton for 150 kilometers before eventually being caught by the pack at the 3-km mark. Nevertheless, individual efforts from the Boys in Blue did not finish there, as David de la Fuente made a late move a kilometer after the neutralisation, with veteran Davide Rebellin being the one aborting the Spaniard's short adventure and leadout the sprint for his teammate Ginanni.

On the other hand, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) secured his GC win at the 27th Giro di Sardegna today, as the last stage of the Italian course -Carbonia-Cagliari, 143 km- left no time gaps, with countryman Alessandro Petacchi (LPR) grabbing the flowers after a mass sprint. FUJI-SERVETTO-wise, Spaniard Jesus del Nero culminated a strong performance with his 4th position overall, only to seconds short to a podium place. Team director Josean Fernandez, Matxin, analyzed the final outcome of the Sardinian course: “Even though a fourth place always gives you a bittersweet flavour, I leave these beautiful lands with a satisfying impression, as the team always tried to be protagonist of the race. After Del Nero climbed up to the 5th place of the GC, we always made an attempt to break the race as long as there was a climb to get the sprinters out of sight, but the field's level over here, with Bennati, Petacchi and such kinds, has been really high. Besides, the route was a bit weird, as the two hardest climbs of the course weren't into the roadbook, and that leaves you no chance to plan a good strategy. But, as I stated before, we've been aggresive and did everything at our reach to look for a win, and that's enough for me.”

Two competitions await FUJI-SERVETTO to take part of on Sunday, as the 63th Gran Premio di Lugano (178 km, starting at 11.30 CET) closes a nice week-end at Switzerland while the Clásica de Almería (169 km, starting at 12.30 CET) gets the races once again on Spanish turf.

RESULTS:

27th GIRO DI SARDEGNA
5th stage:

1. Alessandro Petacchi (LPR) 3.33.00
2. Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) s.t.
3. Manuel Belletti (Diquigiovanni) s.t.

…

15. Jesús del Nero (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
28. Iker Camaño (FUJI_SERVETTO) s.t.
39. Alberto Benítez (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
44. Ricardo Serrano (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
70. Javier Megías (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.59
ABN. Josep Jufre (FUJI-SERVETTO)
ABN. Boris Shpilevsky (FUJI-SERVETTO)

General Clasification:

1. Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) 20.14.17
2. Oscar Gatto (ISD) 0.12
3. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) 0.16
4. Jesús del Nero (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.18
5. Giovanni Visconti (ISD) s.t.

…

34. Javier Megías (FUJI-SERVETTO) 6.29
36. Iker Camaño (FUJI_SERVETTO) 10.02
38. Alberto Benítez (FUJI-SERVETTO) 12.23
43. Ricardo Serrano (FUJI-SERVETTO) 13.23

Kessiakoff Shines On

Ex biker and now FUJI-SERVETTO rider Fredrik Kessiakoff from Sweden was again winning a point of importance for himself into road cycling in his first season as full-time racer, as, after he did a grueling ride at yesterday’s Gran Premio dell’Insubria, where he stayed on the move for 150 kms before being chased down at the 5-km mark, he performed in tremendous strength during the 63rd Gran Premio di Lugano, a 1.1 race on Swiss turf over 178 kilometers, always on hard weather conditions. Kessiakoff came across the finishing line in sixth place, after being part of a select quintet of hot guns, from which the eventually leading duo, composed by Davide Rebellin (Diquigiovanni) and final winner Rémi Pauriol (Cofidis), went out in the last part of the race, whose hardness was proved by the enormously small field that made it to the end, with Kessiakoff, David de la Fuente and Ermanno Capelli being the only riders to finish the race for FUJI-SERVETTO.

Returning in the team's homeland, the 24th Clasica de Almeria was held on Andalusian soil on Sunday afternoon, with New Zealand's Greg Henderson (Columbia) claiming a valuable win in a very short, 35-man field that came into the coastal boulevard of the South-Eastern city up-front. Spaniard Josep Jufre (10th) was the best place rider from FUJI-SERVETTO, and the only able to come into the main peloton along with Jesus del Nero and Ricardo Serrano, the last one as earlier protagonist of the break of the day, which went before the peloton for almost 100 kilometers, with Pierre Rolland (Bouygues), Manuel Ortega (Andalucia), Rui Sousa (Liberty) and Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo) accompanying Serrano until the 15-km mark.

The next race for FUJI-SERVETTO will be held on Wednesday 4th, as the team travels again in Italy, to take part of the 3ºth Giro del Friuli, a UCI 1.1 race over 184 kilometers. The Boys in Blue that are heading to Eastern Italian lands are Fredrik Kessiakoff, Eros Capecchi, Juanjo Cobo, Hilton Clarke, Daniele Nardello, Arkaitz Duran and Boris Shpilevsky, all of them directed by Stefano Zanini.

RESULTS:

63th G.P. LUGANO

1. Remi Pauriol (Cofidis)
2. Davide Rebellin (Diquigiovanni) s.t.
3. Simon Gerrans (Cervelo) 0.03
4. Francesco Reda (Quick Step) s.t.
5. Peter Velits (Milram) s.t.
6. Fredrik Kessiakoff (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.

…

23. Ermanno Capelli (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.44
27. David de la Fuente (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.

24th CLÁSICA DE ALMERÍA

1. Greg Henderson (Columbia) 20.14.17
2. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) s.t.
3. Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) s.t.

…

10. Josep Jufre (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0..03
22. Jesús del Nero (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.06
41. Ricardo Serrano (FUJI_SEREVTTO) 2.14
57. Alberto Benítez (FUJI-SERVETTO) 8.55
79. Beñat Intxausti (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.