Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: 5° tappa Giro donne

Vince la Melchers che guadagna preziosi secondi nella generale.
tappa
1 71 MELCHERS VAN POPPEL  Mirjam NED
  MX6-BUITENPOORT-FLEXPOINT TEAM 2:55'16 0 10
2 21 BRONZINI  Giorgia ITA
  MX9-CHIRIO-FORNO D'ASOLO/RIDER 2:55'24 8 6
3 113 SLIOUSAREVA  Olga RUS
  NOBILIRUBINETT.-MENIKINI-COGEAS 2:55'24 8 4
4 98 SCHLEICHER  Regina GER
  MX7-FENIXS/COLNAGO/CAMBERRA/NOR 2:55'24 8
5 91 BUBNENKOVA  Svetlana RUS
  MX7-FENIXS/COLNAGO/CAMBERRA/NOR 2:55'24 8
generale
1 142 BRANDLI  Nicole SUI
  MIX5 - TEAM BIGLA 15:01'24 0
2 61 SOMARRIBA  Joane ESP
  BIZKAIA-PANDA SOFTWARE-DURANGO 15:01'32 8
3 71 MELCHERS VAN POPPEL  Mirjam NED
  MX6-BUITENPOORT-FLEXPOINT TEAM 15:01'52 28
4 45 STAHURSKAIA  Zinaida BLR
  MIX8-BIANCHI-ALIVERTI/FIAMME AZ 15:02'07 43
5 111 PUCINSKAITE  Edita LTU
  NOBILIRUBINETT.-MENIKINI-COGEAS 15:02'10 46
-- 
Gandhi: "Vivi come se dovessi morire domani. Impara come se dovessi 
vivere per sempre."

 3 71 MELCHERS VAN POPPEL  Mirjam NED
snip-
two of  my picks in 2nd and 3rd!
I guess I should of put money down in Las Vegas?
Bruce

 I guess I should of put money down in Las Vegas?
Melchers, as far as I know, is not a pure climber. Saturday's stage 
could be very difficult for her: the Simplon Pass is a really long and 
also quite steep climb, but then there is a long and very fast descent 
leading to Domodossola. It's still not easy to make a prediction for 
this decisive stage.


 this decisive stage.
Sorry, I meant 1st and 2nd. I would of never picked Melchers. I picked
Nicole and Joanne but Melchers, nada! However she is young, light and
healthy, and she climbs fair, but I don't think she could hang with the two
of the best climbers in the world.
Expect this to be a battle between Nicole and Joanne. I wouldn't bet on
anyone else. There two girls have fire in their veins, and ice in their
blood!
Bruce

 this decisive stage.
I would expect Edita to bump up a few places, maybe 3rd, but look at Neben.
She won Tour De Aude, and she could be a big surprise before all is said and
done. Now that Luperini is gone, I have to say (Go USA) !!!!!!!!
Bruce
From CN
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2005/jul05/womensgiro05/womensgiro055
1 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Team Bigla                                   15.01.24
2 Joane Sommariba (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango                  0.08
3 Mirjam Melchers Van Poppel (Ned) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team           0.28
4 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) Bianchi-Aliverti/Fiamme Az                  0.43
5 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Nobilirubinett.-Menikini-Cogeas               0.46
6 Amber Neben (USA) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team                          0.47

 Expect this to be a battle between Nicole and Joanne. 
On the climb of Simplon Pass, the only big mountain in this Giro, I 
expect a battle to death between Nicole and Edita... and perhaps Bouba. 
Then fighting for the other positions Joanne, Zinaida and Mirjam.


 Now that Luperini is gone, I have to say (Go USA) !!!!!!!!
Here is the reason of Faby's abandon: gastroenteritis.
http://www.bikenews.it/bikewoman/2005/GIRO/home.htm
...
119 le atlete alla firma nella mattinata dopo il ritiro ieri, per 
gastroenterite, di Fabiana Luperini.
...


 Then fighting for the other positions Joanne, Zinaida and Mirjam.
I wouldn't count Joanne out, she is a stellar climber and she has been head
to head with Nicole many times. Zinaida and Mirjam have never been in the
climbing company of Joanne in the past. If you think it's a recent
development that Joanne is not climbing so well then we have to wait and
see. I think Edita is a great champion and I certainly would put her right
in the fight with Nicole and Joanne. According to the results you posted
just recently, I am puzzled by that and will have to wait to read the race
report from CN.
True, Bouba is having a great year, as is Zinaida and Mirjam, wait and see.
Bruce

Hi friends,
i was in Domodossola yesterday and i saw Nicole very near,great!:-)
If you want to see some photos
http://infodomo.altervista.org/eventi/Arrivo_Giro_Italia_Femminile/index.html
She'll win Giro 2005 in Milan today and hope to be there:-)
Sierraman ha scritto:


 She'll win Giro 2005 in Milan today and hope to be there:-)
Belle foto, io ero sul Sempione e ne ho scattate anch'io alcune anche se 
di qualità non sempre eccelsa.
Magari oggi sarò a Varese alla partenza.
-- 
Il segreto della felicita' non e' di far sempre cio' che si vuole, ma di 
voler sempre cio' che si fa. (Lev Tolstoj)

 She'll win Giro 2005 in Milan today and hope to be there:-)
1135 is cool photo of Bouba spraying the bottle!
1136 Bouba takes a hit off the bottle!
1156-65, nice shots of Brandli!
1170 Great shot of Brandli!
1173, 74 nice shot of Brandli!
Bruce