Preview: GP GFM Meccanica, Praticello di Gattatico

by Monty. on Apr 29, 2010 1:34 PM EDT in Women's Cycling

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Saturday’s GP GFM Meccanica run just outside Praticello in the Emilia-Romagnaian comune of Gattatico give you one more hint of just how deeply embedded cycling is in the culture of parts of Italy. In the entire comune there are just 5,400 residents and those are divided between six villages. Yet for the last forty years the inhabitants have been running a Gran Fondo, the Trofeo Papà Cervi, and for the last ten that has been preceded in the morning by a race for elite women, the GP GFM Meccanica. And not just vaguely elite women (as I remember reading years ago of a school fete that was to be opened by a "star" of "Star Wars" which turned out to mean someone who was inside one of those Ewok costumes), they’ve had some pretty impressive fields in their time. Two years ago Regina Schleicher outsprinted Giorgia Bronzini (Or if you prefer the Cicloweb version - even more impressively she then had just one teammate, Edita Pucinskaite ), and last year Diana Ziliute beat Alessandre d’Ettore (if you’re curious, that video also shows Guderzo riding last year in her Fiamme Azzurre colours).

The race itself starts some 12km to the southwest of Praticello outside the headquarters of sponsor GFM Meccanica. They race twice around a short circuit there before heading to the main 7.2km circuit at Praticello, passing en route the Museo Cervi (one time home of anti-fascist resistance hero Alcide Cervi, the Papa Cervi after who the Gran Fondo is named) where there is an intermediate sprint. The main circuit is repeated nine times for a total race distance of 98km. There aren’t any profiles around but you don’t need them in the Po valley: the steepest gradient anyone is likely to encounter is on the underpass under the Autostrada del Sole. That pretty much guarantees a sprint of sorts, so that means Giorgia Bronzini, Rasa Leleivyte, Alessandre d’Ettore in third place and Rossella Callovi hitting the top ten again. If precedent is a guide then ultimokm.net should have video of the race in a couple of days. Their archive is worth a little explore too. Select a year and category from the drop-down boxes on the right hand side of the home page, then press "cerca." Particularly recommended if your workplace blocks YouTube.

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GP de Suisse

(for those who didn’t find the mention buried in the comments for the Tour de Romandie). Every year since 2004 (although there was also an edition in 2001), the Fondation Magali Pache (website not totally up to date, but still useful) has put on a race in memory of a young Swiss rider killed by a car in 2000 while riding back to her hotel after the Trophée d’Or. The race is an invitational time trial which precedes the men’s time trial in the Tour de Romandie and uses the same course. Past winners include Nicole Cooke, Kristin Armstrong, adn last year Christine Soeder. The organisers allocate 18 start times to the women and they leave at one minute intervals, so blink and you’ve missed it. I’ve seen no official start list, but Cycling Weekly says that both Emma Pooley and Lizzie Armitstead are down to ride, whileBridie O’Donnell tweets that there is a large Australian contingent:

oh, and Tiff, Carly, Kathy, Carla, Vicki and I thought we might let the Tour of Romandie use the closed roads of Moudon when we’re done

Twitter

So in addition to Bridie that’s Tiff Cromwell, Carly Light, Carla Ryan, Vicki Whitelaw, (and I’m feeling stupid here Kathy ???)

That’s eight out of the eighteen starters. Anyone heard of anyone else?

by Monty. on Apr 29, 2010 1:55 PM EDT reply actions

On another forum we were laughing at the lack of info

Absolutely no info anywhere – and yet it’s run by Tour of Romandie, whih makes no sense.

Cervélo and Leontien are sending some kind of team, according to Cycling Fever….

GP Elsy Jacobs is still the race I’d most like to be watching this weekend, though…

by Sarah Connolly on Apr 29, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Those terribly efficient Swiss

being not so terribly efficient? Surely not.

by Monty. on Apr 29, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe it's a secret timetrail

and ot even the riders will know the route in advance? ;-)

by Sarah Connolly on Apr 29, 2010 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Follow the chocolate trail?

Or is it gingerbread? Or Pinocchio’s nose?

by Monty. on Apr 29, 2010 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Damn, my typing!

Maybe it’ll be a path of crumbs through the woods?

by Sarah Connolly on Apr 29, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I've not seen official results

but there’s a Cervelo press release doing the rounds that gives the following:

1 Emma Pooley (Gbr) Cervélo TestTeam
2 Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC- Columbia
3 Jeannie Longo (Fr)
4 Sharon Laws (Gbr) Cervélo TestTeam
5 Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
7 Patricia Schwager (Sui) Cervélo TestTeam
14 Emilie Aubry (Sui) Cervélo TestTeam

their line “the women of Cervélo TestTeam dominated the race with all five members of today’s squad finishing in the top 15” doesn’t sound quite so impressive when you note that there were only 18 due to start. Carla Ryan missed the Aussie championships this year and couldn’t defend her title from 2009, so she must be pleased with this result. Jeannie Longo is truly amazing.

by Monty. on Apr 30, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

"Damn those tiny people"

Bridie’s got a great blog entry up about her experience, and how she recorded a DNF after the final corner wasn’t signposted:

I was relieved to see 500m to go then 400m to go, and to have not crashed getting there. But then, I saw no actual finish line after the 100m to go sign. And I had done such a good job chasing the moto! After a couple of minutes turning the legs over and trying not to vomit, GianCarlo found me and look concerned. “Non arriva Breedie!”

by Monty. on May 1, 2010 3:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Aw, Bridie!

She really doesn’t have that sense of direction, but I love her for it

by Sarah Connolly on May 2, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

On the loss of the Tour de Bretagne

The men’s version is on this week, and the local TV reporters at France3 Iroise spoke to the organisers of the women’s about what had gone wrong this year. This should lead you to the evening news of 28/4, then fast forward to 6:20 (in French).

by Monty. on Apr 30, 2010 7:09 AM EDT reply actions

The top ten

1 Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss Rdz Ormu) 99 km a 40,13 km/h.
2 Rasa Lelivyte (Safi Pasta Zara),
3 Alessandra D’Ettorre (Top Girls),
4 Valentina Scandolara (Vaiano),
5 Viktoriya Vologdina (Chirio Fornd d’Asolo),
6 Barbara Guarischi (Michela Fanini),
7 Giulia Lazzerini (Michela Fanini),
8 V. De Souza Fernandes (Chirio Forno d’Asolo),
9 Tania Belvederesi (Team Valdarno Umbria),
10 Simona Frapporti (Vaiano)

Courtesy of Tuttobici

Alessandra Borchi (Gauss Rdz Ormu) and Alona Andruk (Safi Pasta Zara) were away together for a long time but it eventually came down to a bunch sprint. If video appears then watch out for the Vaiano team kit. White with blue stars, when combined with the matching leggings it looks like they’re racing in pyjamas.

by Monty. on May 1, 2010 1:56 PM EDT reply actions