05-06-2008 22:05:25

Liquigas is doubly busy in the next few days. The first engagement will be in Romagna for the fifth Marco Pantani Memorial race. The cyclists leave Cesenatico to race around 172 kilometres of some of the “Pirata’s” favourite roads, including two trips up and down Montevecchio, where a monument has been erected in his honour. The event finishes in Madonna del Monte, in Cesena. The Liquigas team won the trophy last year thanks to Franco Pellizotti. This year some of the boys in blue and green fresh from Giro d’Italia will be taking part, like Vincenzo Nibali, Andrea Noè, Kjell Carlström and Alessandro Vanotti. They will be joined by Leonardo Bertagnolli and Murilo Fischer, with DS Mario Scirea to guide them.

The 60th Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré starts on the following day, Sunday 8th June. This stage race has become famous for its tough climbs in the Alps and is a celebrated French appetiser of things to come in the Tour de France. After the 5.6-km Le Pontet – Avignon prologue, the competition includes another seven sections that cross the entire region between the Rhone and the Alps. We have to wait until the last three stages to find out what happens in the final thrilling mountain phase: the Col de Joux-Plane (13th June), the Col de la Croix de Fer (14th June) and finally the triple-whammy offered by the Massif de la Chartreuse (15th June), which comprises the Col du Granier, Col du Cucheron and the Col de Porte. Flying the flag for Liquigas will be Manuel Beltran, who is also racing in the Tour, Charles Wegelius, star rider from the Giro, and Valerio Agnoli. Completing the line-up led by Dario Mariuzzo are Mauro Da Dalto, Aliaksandr Kuchynski, Matej Mugerli, Manuel Quinziato and Frederik Willems.

Press release Liquigas