Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: 4th Giro De Feminin for Luperini

What blows my mind is the stellar field in the 4th Giro De Feminin that
Luperini won in 1998, including Catherine Marsal, both the Cappellotto
sisters, Pia Sunstead, Joane Somaribba, Monica Bandini, Edita Pucinskaite,
Barbara Heeb, Linda Jackson, Diana Zilute, Zen-Stahurskaia, Nicole Brandli,
Greta Zocca, Anna Wilson, and on and on.
THIS WAS A STELLAR FIELD!!!!
But what is interesting is the report that at 24  years old, Luperini wins
her 4th Giro De Feminin, and her 3rd Tour De Feminin. While the report from
CN here gives some stats compared to the greats Like Merckx, ect. It also
notes that all of her team mates dye their hair pink to celebrate Faby's
tour win!! :-)
That's funny, I do get a chuckle out of that! :-)
Note: Linda Jackson racing in her prime at 40 years old! I have seen this
1998 Giro De Feminin race, most of it, and it was incredibly impressive!!
CN...
In an enthusiastic day at Vittorio Veneto, crowned by a huge audience,
Fabiana Luperini today triumphantly concluded the 9th Giro d'Italia
Internazionale femminile: the pink jersey is hers again, as it was in
1995, 1996 and 1997. No one has ever won the Giro d'Italia four
consecutive times, not only in the short history of the women's Giro,
but also in the men's Giro. The Tuscan champion completed an exemplary
Giro d'Italia, showing that she is as strong mentally as physically: the
loss of the pink jersey to Canadian Linda Jackson at the end of the time
trial didn't discourage Luperini, who found physical and mental energy to
do her best in the following stages, winning on Pordoi Pass and dominating
the 11th stage that ended at Tambre (won by her team mate Pia Sundstedt).
In total, she had three stage wins in this Giro. What is most incredible
about
Fabiana Luperini and her record of victories is what she's accomplished at
her age: barely 24˝ years old, she has already won four Giro d'Italia's and
three Tour Femminin's. Until now, no one has succeeded in doing the same at
such a young age.
The four consecutive victories at the Giro d'Italia represent an important
statistic in the history of cycling. Only Anquetil and Merckx were able to
do the same at the Tour de France. Were she to repeat in 1999, Fabiana would
match Indurain, who won the Tour de France five consecutive times. In terms
of
victories in the big Tours (Italy and France), only Hinault (5 Tour's and 3
Giro's)
rests above Fabiana Luperini (4 Giro's and 3 Tour's). With seven victories,
she
also ties the records of Indurain (2 Giro's and 5 Tour's) and Coppi (5 Giro'
s
and 2 Tour's).
The last stage ended as expected in a field sprint, with Italian Greta Zocca
from nearby Vicenza, who wore the pink jersey in Cagliari and closes this
Giro
with three stage wins. Zocca, and all her team mates from Mimosa-Sprint and
Vittorio Veneto-Sprint, dyed their hair pink to celebrate Fabiana Luperini's
victory.
A day of great happiness for the Tuscan: "Thanks to everyone, thanks to my
team,
to my fans. Again, the facts tell the story, and this is precisely why I
refuse
to respond to those who assert that I was favored in this race. After having
won
four Giro's and three Tour's, I believe I don't have to prove anything to
anyone.
I won by my merit, prevailing over great adversaries, beginning with
Jackson."
Canadian Linda Jackson was the other big star in these twelve days of
racing.
"I'm happy to have done this well on a course that wasn't
designed for me. Next year, give me a 40-km time trial and I'll promise you
that
the race will be decided by milliseconds!"
B-
ps-I was told that statues are not only for the dead in the NL, maybe when
Luperini retires, she could be the first person to get a statue to celebrate
her greatness while she yet remains very much alive! :-)

"GoneBeforeMyTime" <Fa...@EuroForums.com> wrote in message
news:BZydnVIY8btT9XfZ...@sti.net...
This is pretty cool...
CN...
Nica Lewis, Press Officer for the Tour writes:
Stage 9, Predazzo - Passo Pordoi, 95 kms:
Today on the steep climb that wends up to Pordoi Pass in the scenic
Dolomites, Italian Fabiana Luperini wrote one of the most beautiful pages in
the history of women's cycling, already rich with other memorable stories.
The Tuscan champion, winner of the last three editions of the race for the
pink jersey, dominated the 95 km Predazzo-Pordoi, 9th stage of the Women's
Giro d'Italia.
The athlete from the GS Mimosa Sprint "Energia della Frutta" launched an
attack at the beginning of the final 12km climb from Canazei to Pordoi
Pass - a difficult climb that rises 794m (almost 2400 feet) to the 2239m
summit (more than 6700 feet). Luperini's progress on the 25 switchbacks that
led to Pordoi was truly impressive, especially considering Jackson's
admirable resistance. Jackson arrived second with only one minute delay.
Right afterwards, the Canadian congratulated Luperini on an incredible
performance. On the heels of these two regents of this year's Giro, Heeb,
Somarriba and Pucinskaite arrived at 2'21".
"My team mates did a great job and prepared the best route for me. I started
in a really tough gear when the road was steep because I wanted to get an
immediate advantage," said Luperini. "With each kilometer, I gained precious
seconds. I was truly impressed with Jackson, who I already admired as a
cyclist, but now also for her great loyalty. As soon as she crossed the
finish line, she came to congratulate me. To tell the truth, I'm not used to
such gracious gestures."
Tomorrow's 97.5 km course will be completely flat -- perfect for the
sprinters in the group -- with start and finish in Bibione, on the Adriatic
coast near Venice. The stage is preparation for the much-awaited and very
demanding 11th stage, Longarone-Tambre, scheduled for Saturday, July 11th.
It will probably paint a clearer picture of the overall standings for the
race for the pink jersey in the epilogue on Sunday July 12th (the 116km
Conegliano-Vittorio Veneto).
Born in Pontedara (Pi) on 14/01/1974 Fabiana Luperini lives in Cascine di
Buti. The best rider that Italian womens' cycling has ever known already won
the Giro and the Tour in '95, '96 and 97. The Mimosa Sprint Energia dalla
Frutta athlete won 13 races in 1998 (and also currently has 13 stage-wins in
the Giro): GP Lugano, GP Mib Travel, 2 stages and overall winner in the Tour
de l'Aude, The Trofeo Foto Due in Florence and three stages in the Giro del
Trentino. Her most brilliant success was the Flčche Wallonne.

"GoneBeforeMyTime" <Fa...@EuroForums.com> wrote in message
news:BZydnVIY8btT9XfZ...@sti.net...
Hey?
The climb to Broz was described as the most difficult ever encountered in
women's cycling!!...
CN
Nica Lewis, Press Officer for the Tour writes:
Stage 11, Longarone - Tambre d'Alpago, 97.3 kms:
All eyes are on tomorrow, for the last act of the Luperini-Jackson
contest -- unless there's unhappy news from Saeco-Timex's medical team -- 
before the final parade on Sunday from Conegliano to Vittorio Veneto. The
11th stage, 97.3 km from Longarone to Tambre, is replete with challenges:
there are three Gran Premi di Montagna: the first at Pieve d'Alpago (676m -
2000 ft), after 32 km, the second at St. Anna Pai (km 51,5 at 1044m - 3100
ft) and third, the toughest, Broz, two km from the finish at Tambre (965m -
2900 ft). The climb to Broz is described as the most difficult ever
encountered in women's cycling, comparable to the Mortirolo, even though it
is seven km shorter than the most famous peak in the Men's Giro d'Italia. It
rises 565m (1695 ft) in seven km.
Already for several days now, Fabiana Luperini has been saying that Tambre
was going to be "her" stage. And one can be sure that the pink jersey she
wears won't lessen her intention to attack in her classic style.
Fabiana Luperini virtually won her fourth Giro d'Italia in a memorable day
for her and for her team, Mimosa-Sprint, as she dominated this penultimate
and very difficult stage. In fact, on the climb to Tambre, the extraordinary
Tuscan had only one rider who was able to maintain her pace, her teammate
Pia Sundtedt, from Finland. As they approached the finish line, Fabiana
generously left the victory to Pia without even trying to sprint. "It was a
perfect day for me and my team," said Luperini. I'm also happy for Pia
Sundstedt, since she was totally unlucky in the Giro del Trentino which she
lost because of a crash."
The Finnish rider of course thanked her team captain: "Fabiana was great,
she waited for me and helped me. I'm happy for her, because with this fourth
victory in the Giro, she is now legendary." Sundstedt attacked with the
Lithuanian Pucinskaite. But Luperini waited for the right moment, and
started a spectacular climb planting her adversaries one by one on the last
kilometers of the ascent. Only Sundstedt, with the "benediction" of Fabiana,
was able to resist. Also doing well were the Swiss rider Barbara Heeb, third
at 25 seconds along with Pucinskaite; and fifth the Canadian Jackson, who
defended herself well in spite of the injuries she sustained in Friday's
crash at Bibione.

 women's cycling!!...
Can you check the name?
Is that really Broz, rather than Boz (above Villa di Villa, close to
Feltre)?
I have climbed up to Boz.
Leaving Pisa, to be back in a week, or so.
Sergio
Pisa

 wrote in message
news:1156235056.7...@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Was Boz climb difficult?
B-