21.10.2007 Varese - Como (242 km)
Bad luck for Frank, 4th place for Andy
Results:
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Damiano Cunego
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13th at 25"
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4th at 10"
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The Schleck brothers have been once again up at the front during the last race of the season, the Tour of Lombardy. But it wasn't the expected favourite Frank who did the best result, but Andy with a fourth place. His elder brother was victim of a crash with 6 kilometers to go, at a moment where he was still in competition for the victory. Because Frank has been very impressive until then, leaving no doubt about his ambitions and those of his team CSC. On the Madonna di Ghisallo, with around 50 kilometers to go, Andy Schleck was the first to accelerate behind Tossato and the other riders of the early break. After that, it was the turn for Karsten Kroon to set the rythm on the climb and the peloton of the favourites reduced more and more. They were still 18 together on top, including Cunego, Ricco, Rebellin, Dekker, Simoni, Sanchez or Evans, with 5 of them being from CSC: two times Schleck, Sastre, Kolobnev and Kroon. The latter two accelerated again a little bit later with Marzani, Mori and Nardello, just to prepare a first attack of Frank Schleck to happen on the Civiglio. Only Ricco, Cunego, Dekker and Evans were able to stay in the wheel of the Luxemburgish rider in this penultimate climb of the day. Samuel Sanchez bridged up to the five on the descent, soon joined by Rebellin, Gusev, Andy Schleck and some others. At that moment, everyone had the San Fermo die Battaglia in mind, the last climb of the race which would be deciding. Frank Schleck also thought about the climb, he felt very strong and wanted to make another attack there and set the basis for his possible victory. But after a short moment of inattention, he touched Gusev's whell and fell to the ground, where he had to watch the others and all his chances for the win fade away. Frank remounted on his bike and finished the race, but a 13th position in the race of the falling leaves can only be disappointing for him, given the conditions. After the crash, the hopes of the Schleck-fans were of course turned to Andy. But the younger one had already worked a lot the whole day for his brother and his legs were tired. Too tired to follow the multiple attacks of Ricco and Cunego on the San Fermo, the two riders that took off to decide the victory between themselves. But Andy managed to hang on to Evans and Dekker and crossed the top of the climb only a few seconds behind the two leaders. In the sprint to the line, Cunego was not also the strongest, but he also had a perfekt timing and had no problems to win ahead of Ricco. The next chasers led by Sanchez and Schleck arrived only 10 seconds later. Behind the Spanish rider, Andy managed to stay ahead of Rebellin in the sprint for third place, but finished just off the podium places.
14.10.2007 Monteveglio - Monteveglio (196 km)
The little prince form Monteveglio
Results:
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Daniano Cunego
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105th at 48"
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52nd at 10"
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After having been very agressive in the last two races, Coppa Sabatini and Giro dell'Emilia, Frank Schleck was a little bit more on his ease today, during the third act of the Northern Italian trilogy, the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli. Eventually, CSC had with Chris Anker Sörensen one riders in the early break and so his team-mates didn't have to do anything than follow the movement in the pack. The big break of the day went clear after 4 kilometers already, and in addition to Sörensen, it was composed by Facci, Frolinger, Bodnar, Bertagnolli, Stangelj, Gourov, Gottfried, Celli, Allegroni and Shchebelin. These 11 riders were in the lead of the race for nearly 190 Kilometers, but Lampre and Milram controlled the gap very tightly and never let it grow to more than five minutes. With about 5 kilometers to go, the group was caught again and a group of around 50 riders presented itself on the last, uphill straight line. It was due to the high speed and the repetition of the climbs that the main group was torn into pieces on the last lap of the race. Frank Schleck, who did not want to dig too deep today and to take any risks, lost contact to the peloton shortly before the finish and arrived in 105th place, 48 seconds late. Andy, on his side, was up at the front, but he didn't mix with the sprint for the victory and crossed the finish line in the second half of the first group, in 52nd position. The win was decided in a very tight sprint between the "little prince" Damiano Cunego and German champion Fabian Wegmann, with the Italian rider being declared winner after examination of the photo-finish.
13.10.2007 Formigine - San Luca di Bologna (199 km)
FINALLY REWARDED !!!
Results:
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Frank Schleck
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winner
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DNF
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Since the month of August, Frank Schleck has accomplished lots of training kilometers, has accumulated the races with only one goal: being ready for World Championships and the Italian autumn classics. In Stuttgart, it was obvious that he is in great shape, but despite having been very very close, he has never been able to take a win because he lacked that small bit of luck that makes the difference between the winner and his runner-ups. Just like in the spring, Frank hasn't been rewarded for his great efforts. But today it is done and, as usual, Schleck didn't chose just any race to write into his palmares, but one of the most hardest automn classics, the Giro dell'Emilia. It is a very
tough race with several climbs up the San Luca Mountain near Bologna and the big amount of stars at the start shows the interest they have in the race: Bettini, Rebellin, Di Luca, Evans and many more were there. After a very fast start, two riders broke away and took the lead with a big advantage, Italian Stafano Boggia and Swiss rider Gregory Rast. But their efforts were quickly forgotten, when the big favourites put down the hammer on the final local circuit around Bologna: Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Damiano Cunego, Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre – Fondital), Cristopher Horner, Cadel Evans (Predictor – Lotto), Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval – Prodir), Frank Schleck, Alexander Kolobnev, Carlos Sastre (Team CSC), Luca Mazzanti (Ceramica Panaria – Navigare) and Giairo Ermeti (Tenax) were in the big and prominent leading group that dominated the race while behind them, more than 100 riders quit during the race. Rebellin was one of the most motivated to avoid a massive sprint and he attacked several times. With around one kilometer to go, on the steepest part (13 %) of the wall of San Luca, the Gerolsteiner rider accelerated once again and only one rider was able to take his wheel: Frank Schleck. In his typical style, which makes it all seem that easy, the Luxemburgish CSC rider bridged up to Rebellin and in the sprint to the finish line, he was faster than the Italian, which is a real big performance in such an uphill sprint. Not only was he faster, but he took several bike length of advantage on Rebellin and had time to celebrate while crossing the line with one fist punched up into the air. Two podiums in just a few days, this looks very promising for the Giro di Lombardia in just one week. Andy Schleck has abandoned the race after his work done for his leaders Sastre, Schleck and Kolobnev.
11.10.2007 Peccioli - Peccioli (198 km)
Frank Schleck close to the win
Results:
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Giovanni Visconti
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2nd at 0"
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DNF
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Frank and Andy Schleck didn't have the occasion to play heroes on the Monte Paschi Eroica, a race of another era that the two brothers have missed because their plane was late. Two days later, they finally had arrived in Italy and were able to line up in the Coppa Sabatini, a prestigous race that counts in its palmares the "who's who" of recent Italian cycling history: Moser, Saronni, Argentin, Chiapucchi, Bugno, Bettini and many more. But the peloton began calmly today and, apart from an attack of Hristov who took the lead alone, nobody wanted to break the monotony. It was only after around 100 kilometers that the race started for good with Andy Schleck at the front line. Together with 5 other riders, the Luxemburgish rider broke away behind Hristov: Bragazzi, Cioni, Gavazzi, Sastre and Missaglia. Two CSC riders at the front, that was too much for Quick-Step and Lampre who raised the pace in the peloton, with a very impressive world champion who did lots of work at the front of the bunch. With around 60 kilometers to go, the Schleck break was caught again and the race started again. But without Andy who didn't see any chances for him now and who quit the race a little later. Three riders, Chiarini, Arekeev and Sörensen tried to break away in the final, but once again, Bettini and his team had everything under control. Under the fast speed of Quick-Step, the peloton broke into pieces in the last lap and only 40 riders presented themselves together at the foot of the last climb up to the finish. Among them was Frank Schleck who had very good legs today and decided to try something. With around 700 meters to go, he attacked and took a few meters of advantage. The Luxemburgish riders nearly looked as the winner, but on the very last uphill meters, Italian champion Giovanni Visconti came around him and took his second victory in a row in the Coppa Sabatini. Frank Schleck finished second, just half a bike lenght behind Visconti but ahead of Khalilov, Garzelli and Horner.
03.10.2007 Steinfurt - Münster (200 km)
Van Emden resists to the sprinters
Results:
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Jos Van Emden
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55th at 4'42"
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28th at 4"
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October 3 is National holiday in Germany, and it is also cycling festival in Münster with about 10 races for all categories, among them also a competition for elite with contract riders. The Sparkassen Münsterland Giro is a young event since the idea for the race came up only in 2002 when the Giro d'Itlia passed in that region, but there were several prominent riders lining up: Förster and Ciolek the sprinters, the new U23 world champion Peter Velits and, of course, Frank and Andy Schleck. Whereas Kim Kirchen has finished his 2007 season, the two brothers still have lots of ambitions for the last part of it, especially at the Tour of Lombardy. After a very fast and hectic start, two riders managed to get to the front and stay there for a while: René Weissinger and Chris Anker Sörensen. But the home teams Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile initiated the chase behind the two and so they were caught again with around 50 kilometers to go. Immediately and despite the relatively flat final part of the course, there were more lots of attacks in the peloton and a group of 28 riders broke away with most of the sprinters in it and also 4 CSC-riders, among them Andy Schleck. Whereas everybody waited for a massive sprint among the riders of this group, Andy Schleck tried his luck again in the very last lap of the local circuit and he took with him three other riders, among them Jos Van Emden from the Netherlands. The chasers came closer and closer to them, but Van Emden still had some strength left and he managed to keep a small advantage on the finish line. Gerald Ciolek was fastest in the first group and sprinted to second place, whereas Andy Schleck was passed by all of them in the last meters and finished 28th. Frank on his side crossed the finish line in the main bunch, more than 4 minutes down on the winner.
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Kirchen
