Giro d’Italia 2001: The route, the riders
The 20 teams and riders at the 2001 Giro d’Italia, and the route they’ll face in the next 23 days. ALESSIO Italy Top GC rider: Gotti Top sprinter: Leoni Best stage-win hopes: Leoni, Zanetti Giro will be a success if: Gotti finishes top 5. Equipment: DeRosa bikes Sponsor: Alloy automobile wheels Director: Bruno Cenghialta Giro team: Stefano Casagrande (I); Davide Casarotto (I); Pietro Caucchiolo (I); Ivan Gotti (I); Martin Hvastija (Slo); Ruslan Ivanov (Mol); Endrio Leoni (I); Alexandr Shefer (Kaz); Mauro Zanetti (I). ALEXIA Italy Top GC rider: Hervé Top sprinter:
By VeloNews Interactive
The 20 teams and riders at the 2001 Giro d’Italia, and the route they’ll face in the next 23 days.
ALESSIO
Italy
Top GC rider: Gotti
Top sprinter: Leoni
Best stage-win hopes: Leoni, Zanetti
Giro will be a success if: Gotti finishes top 5.
Equipment: DeRosa bikes
Sponsor: Alloy automobile wheels
Director: Bruno Cenghialta
Giro team: Stefano Casagrande (I); Davide Casarotto (I); Pietro Caucchiolo (I); Ivan Gotti (I); Martin Hvastija (Slo); Ruslan Ivanov (Mol); Endrio Leoni (I); Alexandr Shefer (Kaz); Mauro Zanetti (I).
ALEXIA
Italy
Top GC rider: Hervé
Top sprinter: Quaranta
Best stage-win hope: Quaranta
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage
Equipment: Gios bikes
Sponsor: Aluminum manufacturer
Director: Pietro Pedruzzi
Giro team: Dario Andriotti (I); Andrea Brognara (I); Pascal Hervé (F); Marco Magnani (I); Mario Manzoni (I); Ivan Quaranta (I); Eddy Serri (I); Paolo Valoti (I); Marco Villa (I).
iBANESTO.COM
Spain
Top GC rider: Piepoli
Top sprinter: None
Best stage-win hope: Osa
Giro will be a success if: Piepoli finishes top 5.
Equipment: Pinarello bikes
Sponsor: Spanish bank
Director: José Miguel Echavarri
Giro team: José Luis Arrieta (Sp); Marzio Bruseghin (I); Pablo Lastras (Sp); David Latasa (Sp); David Navas (Sp); Jon Odriozola (Sp); Unai Osa (Sp);Leonardo Piepoli (I); Cesar Solaun (Sp).
BONJOUR
France
Top GC rider: Robin.
Top sprinter: Nazon.
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage.
Best stage win hope: Nazon
Equipment: Time bikes
Sponsor: Free newspaper group
Director: Jean-René Bernaudeau
Giro team: Frank Bouyer (F); Pascal Deramé (F); Noan Lelarge (F); Frédéric Mainguenaud (F); Damien Nazon (F); Mickael Pichon (F); Jean-Cyril Robin (F); Fabrice Salanson (F); Thomas Voeckler (F).
CANTINA TOLLO-ACQUA & SAPONE
Italy
Top GC rider: Di Luca
Top sprinter: Colonna
Giro will be a success if: Di Luca finishes top 10
Best stage win hope: Colombo
Equipment: Moser bikes
Sponsor: Wine distributor
Director: Vincenzo Santoni
Giro team: Gabriele Colombo (I); Roberto Conti (I); Danilo Di Luca (I); Massimiliano Gentili (I); Cristian Pepoli (I); Filippo Simeoni (I); Andrea Tonti (I); Guido Trenti (I); Sergei Yakovlev (Kaz).
FASSA BORTOLO
Italy
Top GC rider: Francesco Casagrande.
Top sprinter: Konyshev.
Giro will be a success if: Casagrande wins overall.
Best stage win hope: Casagrande
American connection: Pearl Izumi uniforms
Equipment: Pinarello bikes
Sponsor: Italian cement company
Director: Giancarlo Ferretti
Giro team: Fabio Baldato (I); Wladimir Belli (I); Francesco Casagrande (I); Dario Frigo (I); Dmitri Konyshev (Rus); Andrea Peron (I); Roberto Petito (I); Matteo Tosatto(I); Tadej Valjavec (Slo).
KELME-COSTA BLANCA
Spain
Top GC rider: Desbiens
Top sprinter: None
Best stage-win hope: Desbiens
Giro will be a success if: Desbiens wins a stage.
Equipment: Look bikes
Sponsor: Sportswear manufacturer and community of Costa Blanca
Director: Vicente Belda
Giro team: Juan Manuel Cuenca (Sp); Juan José De Los Angeles (Sp); Laurent Desbiens (F); Carlos Garcia (Sp); Francisco Leon (Sp); Joaquim Lopez (Sp); Jesus Maria Manzano (Sp); Gustavo Miguel Otero (Sp); Alexis Rodriguez (Sp).
LAMPRE-DAIKIN
Italy
Top GC rider: Simoni
Top sprinter: None
Best stage win hope: Sciandri
Giro will be a success if: Simoni climbs on the final podium.
Equipment: Fondriest bikes
Sponsors: Laminate company and air-conditioning manufacturer
Director: Pietro Algeri
Giro team: Sergio Barbero (I); Simone Bertoletti (I); Oskar Camenzind (Swi); Massimo Codol (I); Juan Manuel Garate (Sp); Gabriele Missaglia (I); Mariano Piccoli (I); Max Sciandri (GB); Gilberto Simoni (I).
LIQUIGAS-PATA
Italy
Top GC rider: Gontchar
Top sprinter: Zanotti
Best stage win hope: Rebellin
Giro will be a success if: Gontchar places top five.
Equipment: Wilier bikes
Sponsor: Liquified petroleum gas and fried potatoes
Director: Roberto Amadio
Giro team: Stefano Cattai (I); Gianni Faresin (I); Serguei Gontchar (Ukr); Mirko Marini (I); Ellis Rastelli (I); Davide Rebellin (I); Gorazd Stangelj (Slo); Denis Zanette (I); Marco Zanotti (I).
LOTTO-ADECCO
Belgium
Top GC rider: Rik Verbrugghe
Top sprinter: Blijlevens
Best stage win hope: Aerts
Giro will be a success if: team can win a stage.
American connection: GT bicycles
Equipment: GT bicycles, Campagnolo components
Sponsor: National lottery and temporary employment agency
Director: Jos Braeckevelt
Giro team: Mario Aerts (B); Jeroen Blijlevens (Nl); Christophe Brandt (B); Glenn D’Hollander (B); Hans De Clercq (B); Nico Eeckhout (B); Kurt Van Lancker (B); Rik Vergrugghe (B); Ief Verbrugghe (B).
MAPEI-QUICK STEP
Italy
Top GC rider: Garzelli
Top sprinter: Zanini.
Best stage win chances: Zanini
Giro will be a success if: Garzelli finishes on the podium
Equipment: Colnago bikes
Sponsor: Industrial adhesives maker and laminate flooring company
Director: Alvaro Crespi
Giro team: Manuel Beltran (I); Davide Bramati (I); Paolo Fornaciari (I); Stefano Garzelli (I); Paolo Lanfranchi (I); Rinaldo Nocentini (I); Andrea Noè (I); Luca Scinto (I); Stefano Zanini (I).
MERCATONE UNO
Italy
Top GC rider: Pantani
Top sprinter: None
Best stage win hopes: Pantani
Giro will be a success if: Pantani wins overall
Equipment: Bianchi bikes
Sponsor: Superstore chain
Director: Giuseppe Martinelli
Giro team: Simone Borgheresi (I); Ermanno Brignoli (I); Daniel Clavero (Sp); Daniele De Paoli (I); Riccardo Forconi (I); Gianpaolo Mondini (I); Marco Pantani (I); Marcello Siboni (I); Marco Velo (I).
MOBILVETTA-TRENTINI
Italy
Top GC rider: None
Top sprinter: Strazzer
Best stage win hope: Gonzalez
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage.
Equipment: Rossin bikes
Sponsor: Mobile home maker and cheese maker
Director: Stefano Giuliani
Giro team: Moreno Di Biase (I); Michele Gobbi (I); Chepe Gonzalez (Col); Domenico Gualdi (I); Tim Jones (Zim); Devis Miorin (I); Uros Murn (I); Alberto Ongarato (I); Massimo Strazzer (I).
ONCE
Spain
Top GC rider: Hruska
Top sprinter: Azevedo
Best stage win hope: Olano
Giro will be a success if: Hruska wins the time trial and finishes top 5.
Equipment: Giant bikes
Sponsor: National organization for the blind
Director: Manolo Saiz
Giro team: René Andrle (Cz); José Azevedo (P); Francisco Garcia Rodriguez (Sp); Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano (Sp); Jan Hruska (Cz); Isidro Nozal (Sp); Abraham Olano (Sp); Miguel Peña (Sp); Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Sp).
PANARIA-FIORDO
Italy
Top GC rider: Figueras
Top sprinter: Degano
Best stage win hope: Duma
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage
Equipment: Battaglin bikes
Sponsor: Ceramic wall and floor tile maker and ceramics maker
Director: Bruno Reverberi
Giro team: Michele Coppolillo (I); Enrico Degano (I); Vladimir Duma (Ukr); Giuliano Figueras (I); Tom Leaper (Aus); Nathan O’Neill (Aus); Julio Perez (Mex); Domenico Romano (I); Antonio Varriale (I).
SAECO
Italy
Top GC rider: Dufaux
Top sprinter: Cipollini
Best stage win hopes: Cipollini
Giro will be a success if: Cipollini wins several stages, Savoldelli rebounds.
American connection: Cannondale
Equipment: Cannondale bikes
Sponsor: Italian espresso machine makers
Director: Claudio Corti
Giro team: Mario Cipollini (I); Biagio Conte (I); Laurent Dufaux (Swi); Massimiliano Mori (I); Pavel Padrnos (Cz); Fabio Sacchi (I); Paolo Savoldelli (I); Mario Scirea (I); Francesco Secchiari (I).
SELLE ITALIA-PACIFIC
Colombia
Top GC rider: Buenahora
Top sprinter: Marin
Best stage win hopes: Gonzalez
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage
Equipment: Daccordi bikes
Sponsors: Saddle manufacturer
Director: Gianni Savio
Giro team: Fortunato Baliani (I); Hernan Buenahora (Col); Joaquim Castelblanco (Col); Humberto Contreras (Col); Fredy Gonzalez (Col); Ruber Marin (Col); Andris Nauduzas (Lat); Leonardo Scarselli (I); Gianluca Tonetti (I).
TACCONI SPORT-VINI CALDIROLA
Italy
Top GC rider: Luttenberger
Top sprinter: Miceli
Best stage win hopes: Di Grande, Klemencic
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage
Equipment: DeRosa bikes
Sponsors: Sport clothing and wine producer
Director: Davide Boifava
Giro team: Ruggero Borghi (I); Paolo Bossoni (I); Giuseppe Di Grande (I); Mauro Ferrari (I); Mauro Gerosa (I); Andrej Hauptman (Slo); Zoran Klemencic (Slo); Peter Luttenberger (A); Nicola Miceli (I).
TEAM COLPACK-ASTRO
Italy
Top GC rider: Lunghi
Top sprinter: None
Best stage win hope: Lunghi
Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage
Equipment: Gios bikes
Sponsor: Plastic bags manufacturer
Director: Antonio Bevilacqua
Giro team: Fabio Bulgarelli (I); Matteo Carrara (I); Michele Colleoni (I); Alessandro Cortinovis (I); Gianni Gobbini (I); Denis Lunghi (I); Rafael Mateos (Sp); Renzo Mazzoleni (I); Hidenori Nodera (Jpn).
TELEKOM
Germany
Top GC rider: Ullrich.
Top sprinter: Lombardi.
Best stage win hope: Sgambelluri
Giro will be a success if: Ullrich finishes top 5.
American connection: Livingston
Equipment: Pinarello bikes
Sponsor: International telecommunications corporation
Director: Rudy Pevenage
Giro team: Alberto Elli (I); Giuseppe Guerini (I); Danilo Hondo (G); Kai Hundertmark (G); Matthias Kessler (G); Kevin Livingston (USA); Giovanni Lombardi (I); Roberto Sgambelluri (I); Jan Ullrich (G).