Gilberto Simoni, who says he is already focused on the 2003 Giro d’Italia,started his long build up to race by reconnoitering the Giro’s most difficultascent, the road to Monte Zoncolan, a brutal climb that caps off stage12 on May 22.Simoni was ejected from the 2002 Giro for a positive drug test but wascleared of charges by a review panel this fall. After missing a large portionof the 2002 season as a result of the scandal, Simoni came back to contestthe Vuelta a España and then turned his focus to the 2003 season.After this past weekend’s announcement of the ’03 Giro route, Simoni visitedthe climb to Monte Zoncolan with Saeco directeur sportif Flavio Miozzoand teammates Leonardo Bertagnolli, Juan Fuentes and Damiano Cunego.The 13km road from Fuessa to the summit Monte Zoncolan averages 9 percent,but hits grades as much as 22 percent for long stretches of the climb."It’s so tough, you can’t compare it to the other important climbs or historic climbs in cycling, I wouldn’t even compare it to the L’Angliru in Spain," Simoni said after his visit.Weather conditions kept the Saeco riders from completing the entire climb and they covered the last three kilometers inside a jeep owned by the GS Carnia Bike club because the road was covered in snow."The final kilometers of the Zoncolan are terrible and will create largetime gaps even if the weather is good,” Simoni said. “It’ll be a great stage for the tifosi to watch. It’s hidden in the countryside and seems perfect for the people who love to watch the Giro d’Italia from the road side."Tour de Georgia signs title sponsor
Organizers of the six-day Tour de Georgia announced Thursday that DaimlerChrysler will be the title sponsor of the stage race scheduled for April 22-27, 2003.Specific sponsorship and support will be through the company’s Dodge brand, as the event will serve as a prominent forum to promote and showcase a variety of new products including, but not limited to, its line of new "Sprinter” vans. The agreement designates Dodge products as the “Official Event Vehicles of the Tour de Georgia.”“I am very pleased that DaimlerChrysler’s commitment will assure the2003 Tour de Georgia,” Georgia governor Roy E. Barnes said in a release issued Thursday. “The Tour de Georgia promises to have one of the greatest economic impacts across Georgia since the 1996 Olympics. Most importantly, the event will carry the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s message of education, awareness, prevention, detection and treatment throughout Georgia – a ‘call to action’ for every citizen to get involved to defeat this horrible disease.”The UCI-sanctioned stage race will cover more than 600 miles (965 km),going through the host cities of Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, PineMountain (Callaway), Rome, Dalton, Gainesville and Atlanta.2003 Tour de Georgia
Tuesday, April 22 – Prologue – Downtown Savannah
Wednesday, April 23 – Stage 1 – Augusta to Macon
Thursday, April 24 – Stage 2 – Macon to Columbus
Friday, April 25 – Stage 3 – Pine Mountain (Callaway) to Rome
Saturday April 26 – Stage 4 – Dalton to Gainesville
Sunday, April 27 – Stage 5 -  Atlanta circuit race.