BOLZANO, Italy, 26 May 2003 — Gilberto Simoni overcame some early jitters to increase his overall lead over compatriot Stefano Garzelli after the first of two time trials at the Tour of Italy here yesterday.
On the day Spaniard Aitor Gonzalez gave his Fassa Bortolo team a boost by pulverizing the field to win the 15th stage race against the clock over 42.5 kilometers between Merano and here.
Earlier in the day Fassa Bortolo’s Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, the winner of four stages so far, crashed 25km into his ride and could be forced to retire from the race.
Simoni though gave his own Saeco team a boost by stealing 39sec from Garzelli, who rides for Vini Caldirola, to take his overall lead to just under two minutes.
The 31-year-old Simoni, the race winner in 2001 a year after Garzelli’s Giro triumph, was trailing Garzelli at the start of the stage but eventually found his legs to finish seventh at 1:40 behind Gonzalez.
Garzelli finished in 13th place at 2:19 behind Gonzalez.
The Spaniard, who won the second of the Giro’s time trials last year, rode at an average speed of 46.746 kph to push powerful Swede Magnus Backstedt into second at 51sec, with Ukraine’s Serhiy Honchar third at de 1 min 22 sec.
Gonzalez, 28, is a well-known time trialler and even won last year’s Tour of Spain thanks to his skills on the final day.
Aussie Rogers Wins
Tour of Belgium
In Ans, Belgium, Australian Michael Rogers, of the Belgian Quick Step team, won the Tour of Belgium yesterday after a fifth and final stage claimed by local rider Dave Bruylandts of the Marlux team.
After 201 kilometers of racing between Mechelen and here, Bruylandts crossed the finish line ahead of Dutchman Maarten Den Bakker (Rabobank) and Slovenian Tadej Valjavec (Fassa Bortolo).
Rogers, winner of the Tour Down Under last year, had taken the leader’s jersey on Saturday after the time trial where he came second, 10sec behind Swiss time trial specialist Fabian Cancellara.
