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Final report from Varese

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Today was the end of this very exciting week.

Yet from the night many people come here in the city and in the early morning the streets was very populated like the top of a big event...and this was a big event, the most important for this city from the "Mondiale of '51".

Like always I put me in my place in a curve of Montello's climb.

 

Star-divide

Obviously today the atmosphere is of a big party, when you can find old friends that you don't see from years and can talk with everybody, like the most important etage of Tour or Giro.

The air of morning is fresh dut the sky is sunny. The race begin very slowly except for three escapers that gain almost 18 minutes in the first part of the race. This confusing a little bit the countdown of laps:the first group passed beginning a lap when the big group had risen from a few of minutes for the previous lap. So until half of the race the atmosphere was quient, happy but not too exicing por spectators:three escapers and a too sleepy group. In the middle of the race finally the group begin to increase the shrink by italians in a passage, after that the race woke up and later i can see a normal world championship evolution of race, with escapers, followers and others escapers and others followers. In the middle of the race I see italians working hard, after they was many people in the head of group and after again I see a Cunego's attack with spanish team very fast and careful.

The last time that the race pass from Montello the situation yet was clear, Bettini was too late to return in the group and same the spanish team so the race would be decided with escapers.

So fast i run at my home to see the final in television.

Well, honestly after the U23 race i was tought that this final was for Ballan (he make a good Vuelta)or Kolobnev(I don't know very good but in the Mondiale he's always there) or another second line and not too Freire, Bettini or Boonen. But when i see that he work too early i was thinking that he arrive too tired to finish. Obviously i was wrong and he kept energy. I'm just a little bit sorry don't to be in the center of the city at the moment of the final attack but...hey, you can't want everything :-)

So with this i finish my serie of reports, from tomorrow Varese will return to be the city of always, the big circus of the big mondial event quit and maybe my next report will be from Tre Valli Varesine hoping in a better english and a better prose.

I put here just some pictures of the race of today and tomorrow i think i will add more photos of this week here because are too many.

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I forgot...If I bet 5 euros on this guy now i have 150 euros.

The next time i will bet...and i will lose.

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Great reporting, thanks!

And you can’t beat local knowledge, I don’t think anyone else here even mentioned Ballan, and there are a lot of Ballan-supporters among us.

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 29, 2008 2:50 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Excellent pictures

Thanks for your reports all week. I hope Varese enjoyed the festival.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 29, 2008 3:51 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thanks!

I loved reading your local reports this week – I hope you will continue to be a part of the Podium Cafe. Nice photos too.

by kimchi on Sep 29, 2008 6:12 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

thanks

live reports is always fantastic.

by semprenaroda on Sep 29, 2008 7:29 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thank you for the photos and reports.

It must’ve been quite exciting being there. I could hear the crowds yelling on the video stream.

by ZoeRochelle on Sep 29, 2008 9:39 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Let me add my thanks

I’ve loved your reports and your English is very good. I hope you continue to post. One of the best things about this site is the variety of people and locations represented by the members.

by Katiek on Sep 29, 2008 10:10 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Squa, I add my thanks to the others' and also hope you continue to post here.

There are many Podium Cafe members here that are MADLY in love with your country and your bike races, and we would welcome your thoughts and opinions!

by Ruthann on Sep 29, 2008 2:04 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

*madly*

This might just be an understatement :-)

by gavia on Sep 29, 2008 2:07 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think "insanely" is closer to the point...

and by “country and bike races” I think you mean “countrymen and bike racers”… and by “countrymen and bike racers” I assume you mean Benna.

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.

by crashdan on Sep 29, 2008 7:09 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Mille Grazie!!

Thanks so much for the Varese stories. Love it! I’d love to read about Tre Valle Varesine – there is never very much information in English about it. (I read about it in the Italian press, but not everyone can do this.) Love the pictures. And what a beautiful city you have.

by gavia on Sep 29, 2008 2:09 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Great stuff

And if you have the time I’d love to hear the story behind the opening ceremony. I clicked on your link above and things look very very strange. I see a row of women flying in wearing oversized/inflatable dresses. They are then sprayed with a liquid and set fire. Luckily the women escape to dance in front of the flames. That is just the what, I don’t want to think what the why might be.

by Monty. on Sep 29, 2008 2:22 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

thank you thank you thank you

i thank you everybody for appreciations and surely i will be again in Podium Cafè talking about this great sport.
About tre valli varesine, is a race into the history of italian cyclism..in the latest years was enought depressed but seem that world championship of this year can help tre valli.we will see.
the opening ceremony that i take pictures(about pictures..i add more photos now but the limit is just 100mb so i make an hard selection) was a choreografic show in the olympic style(little)about some characteristics of the city. womens in white was rapresenting mountains with snow..and the dance with fire an old tradition about a bonfire.was prepared by a studio that partecipe to olympic shows also..and was absolutely impressing.

by squa on Sep 29, 2008 6:43 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

+1,000

Thanks for all your time, work, photos and reporting!!!! Fantastic stuff!

PS: Gavia, you must try to work “partecipe” into your phraseology along with “certo” and “tranquilo”

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.

by crashdan on Sep 29, 2008 7:11 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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