Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

(pic from http://www.gazzetta.it

Andreas Kloden won Tirreno-Adriatico on the penultimate stage, but the big story is the performance by several young riders. Ricardo Ricco, Vincenzo Nibali, Enrico Gasparotto, Giovanni Visconti and Matteo Bono are just a few riders who differentiated themselves in the “Race of the two seas”.

Bono won a tough stage to San Giacomo which features some brutal 10% climbs. Ricco won two stages.

Riccardò Riccò won two stages in a row and at just 23 years old looks to be coming into winning form. Ricco grabbed few wins last year. One impressive victory was ahead of Paolo Bettini in the Settimana Coppi & Bartali last year.

Ricco is on a high with lots of confidence after his Tirreno Adriatico performance, so naturally his next target is Milan San Remo. This race may be a tough target for the young Italian since the Poggio and Cipressa do not provide enough of a challenge to allow Ricco to get away from the sprint trains of Quick-Step and Milram.

Another 23 year old who made a splash was Matteo Bono. The 60Kg climber showed impressive climbing ability on the stage win at San Giacomo. The young Italian is another “out of nowhere” surprise. Matteo Bono looks likely to help Cunego in the high mountains of the Giro if his form holds till then. Plus you have to love his attitude. He was quoted after his win:

“But I am a complete rider, in the sense that I go slow everywhere!” — cyclingnews.com

Other young riders on display are Thomas Dekker and Jani Brajkovic. Dekker was the defending champion, while Brajkovic placed well overall.