Giro d’Italia 2001: The route, the riders

By VeloNews Interactive

The 20 teams and riders at the 2001 Giro d’Italia, and the route they’ll face in the next 23 days.

ALESSIO
Italy

Top GC rider: Gotti

Top sprinter: Leoni

Best stage-win hopes: Leoni, Zanetti

Giro will be a success if: Gotti finishes top 5.

Equipment: DeRosa bikes

Sponsor: Alloy automobile wheels

Director: Bruno Cenghialta

Giro team: Stefano Casagrande (I); Davide Casarotto (I); Pietro Caucchiolo (I); Ivan Gotti (I); Martin Hvastija (Slo); Ruslan Ivanov (Mol); Endrio Leoni (I); Alexandr Shefer (Kaz); Mauro Zanetti (I).

ALEXIA
Italy

Top GC rider: Hervé

Top sprinter: Quaranta

Best stage-win hope: Quaranta

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage

Equipment: Gios bikes

Sponsor: Aluminum manufacturer

Director: Pietro Pedruzzi

Giro team: Dario Andriotti (I); Andrea Brognara (I); Pascal Hervé (F); Marco Magnani (I); Mario Manzoni (I); Ivan Quaranta (I); Eddy Serri (I); Paolo Valoti (I); Marco Villa (I).

iBANESTO.COM
Spain

Top GC rider: Piepoli

Top sprinter: None

Best stage-win hope: Osa

Giro will be a success if: Piepoli finishes top 5.

Equipment: Pinarello bikes

Sponsor: Spanish bank

Director: José Miguel Echavarri

Giro team: José Luis Arrieta (Sp); Marzio Bruseghin (I); Pablo Lastras (Sp); David Latasa (Sp); David Navas (Sp); Jon Odriozola (Sp); Unai Osa (Sp);Leonardo Piepoli (I); Cesar Solaun (Sp).

BONJOUR
France

Top GC rider: Robin.

Top sprinter: Nazon.

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage.

Best stage win hope: Nazon

Equipment: Time bikes

Sponsor: Free newspaper group

Director: Jean-René Bernaudeau

Giro team: Frank Bouyer (F); Pascal Deramé (F); Noan Lelarge (F); Frédéric Mainguenaud (F); Damien Nazon (F); Mickael Pichon (F); Jean-Cyril Robin (F); Fabrice Salanson (F); Thomas Voeckler (F).

CANTINA TOLLO-ACQUA & SAPONE
Italy

Top GC rider: Di Luca

Top sprinter: Colonna

Giro will be a success if: Di Luca finishes top 10

Best stage win hope: Colombo

Equipment: Moser bikes

Sponsor: Wine distributor

Director: Vincenzo Santoni

Giro team: Gabriele Colombo (I); Roberto Conti (I); Danilo Di Luca (I); Massimiliano Gentili (I); Cristian Pepoli (I); Filippo Simeoni (I); Andrea Tonti (I); Guido Trenti (I); Sergei Yakovlev (Kaz).

FASSA BORTOLO
Italy

Top GC rider: Francesco Casagrande.

Top sprinter: Konyshev.

Giro will be a success if: Casagrande wins overall.

Best stage win hope: Casagrande

American connection: Pearl Izumi uniforms

Equipment: Pinarello bikes

Sponsor: Italian cement company

Director: Giancarlo Ferretti

Giro team: Fabio Baldato (I); Wladimir Belli (I); Francesco Casagrande (I); Dario Frigo (I); Dmitri Konyshev (Rus); Andrea Peron (I); Roberto Petito (I); Matteo Tosatto(I); Tadej Valjavec (Slo).

KELME-COSTA BLANCA
Spain

Top GC rider: Desbiens

Top sprinter: None

Best stage-win hope: Desbiens

Giro will be a success if: Desbiens wins a stage.

Equipment: Look bikes

Sponsor: Sportswear manufacturer and community of Costa Blanca

Director: Vicente Belda

Giro team: Juan Manuel Cuenca (Sp); Juan José De Los Angeles (Sp); Laurent Desbiens (F); Carlos Garcia (Sp); Francisco Leon (Sp); Joaquim Lopez (Sp); Jesus Maria Manzano (Sp); Gustavo Miguel Otero (Sp); Alexis Rodriguez (Sp).

LAMPRE-DAIKIN
Italy

Top GC rider: Simoni

Top sprinter: None

Best stage win hope: Sciandri

Giro will be a success if: Simoni climbs on the final podium.

Equipment: Fondriest bikes

Sponsors: Laminate company and air-conditioning manufacturer

Director: Pietro Algeri

Giro team: Sergio Barbero (I); Simone Bertoletti (I); Oskar Camenzind (Swi); Massimo Codol (I); Juan Manuel Garate (Sp); Gabriele Missaglia (I); Mariano Piccoli (I); Max Sciandri (GB); Gilberto Simoni (I).

LIQUIGAS-PATA
Italy

Top GC rider: Gontchar

Top sprinter: Zanotti

Best stage win hope: Rebellin

Giro will be a success if: Gontchar places top five.

Equipment: Wilier bikes

Sponsor: Liquified petroleum gas and fried potatoes

Director: Roberto Amadio

Giro team: Stefano Cattai (I); Gianni Faresin (I); Serguei Gontchar (Ukr); Mirko Marini (I); Ellis Rastelli (I); Davide Rebellin (I); Gorazd Stangelj (Slo); Denis Zanette (I); Marco Zanotti (I).

LOTTO-ADECCO
Belgium

Top GC rider: Rik Verbrugghe

Top sprinter: Blijlevens

Best stage win hope: Aerts

Giro will be a success if: team can win a stage.

American connection: GT bicycles

Equipment: GT bicycles, Campagnolo components

Sponsor: National lottery and temporary employment agency

Director: Jos Braeckevelt

Giro team: Mario Aerts (B); Jeroen Blijlevens (Nl); Christophe Brandt (B); Glenn D’Hollander (B); Hans De Clercq (B); Nico Eeckhout (B); Kurt Van Lancker (B); Rik Vergrugghe (B); Ief Verbrugghe (B).

MAPEI-QUICK STEP
Italy

Top GC rider: Garzelli

Top sprinter: Zanini.

Best stage win chances: Zanini

Giro will be a success if: Garzelli finishes on the podium

Equipment: Colnago bikes

Sponsor: Industrial adhesives maker and laminate flooring company

Director: Alvaro Crespi

Giro team: Manuel Beltran (I); Davide Bramati (I); Paolo Fornaciari (I); Stefano Garzelli (I); Paolo Lanfranchi (I); Rinaldo Nocentini (I); Andrea Noè (I); Luca Scinto (I); Stefano Zanini (I).

MERCATONE UNO
Italy

Top GC rider: Pantani

Top sprinter: None

Best stage win hopes: Pantani

Giro will be a success if: Pantani wins overall

Equipment: Bianchi bikes

Sponsor: Superstore chain

Director: Giuseppe Martinelli

Giro team: Simone Borgheresi (I); Ermanno Brignoli (I); Daniel Clavero (Sp); Daniele De Paoli (I); Riccardo Forconi (I); Gianpaolo Mondini (I); Marco Pantani (I); Marcello Siboni (I); Marco Velo (I).

MOBILVETTA-TRENTINI
Italy

Top GC rider: None

Top sprinter: Strazzer

Best stage win hope: Gonzalez

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage.

Equipment: Rossin bikes

Sponsor: Mobile home maker and cheese maker

Director: Stefano Giuliani

Giro team: Moreno Di Biase (I); Michele Gobbi (I); Chepe Gonzalez (Col); Domenico Gualdi (I); Tim Jones (Zim); Devis Miorin (I); Uros Murn (I); Alberto Ongarato (I); Massimo Strazzer (I).

ONCE
Spain

Top GC rider: Hruska

Top sprinter: Azevedo

Best stage win hope: Olano

Giro will be a success if: Hruska wins the time trial and finishes top 5.

Equipment: Giant bikes

Sponsor: National organization for the blind

Director: Manolo Saiz

Giro team: René Andrle (Cz); José Azevedo (P); Francisco Garcia Rodriguez (Sp); Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano (Sp); Jan Hruska (Cz); Isidro Nozal (Sp); Abraham Olano (Sp); Miguel Peña (Sp); Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Sp).

PANARIA-FIORDO
Italy

Top GC rider: Figueras

Top sprinter: Degano

Best stage win hope: Duma

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage

Equipment: Battaglin bikes

Sponsor: Ceramic wall and floor tile maker and ceramics maker

Director: Bruno Reverberi

Giro team: Michele Coppolillo (I); Enrico Degano (I); Vladimir Duma (Ukr); Giuliano Figueras (I); Tom Leaper (Aus); Nathan O’Neill (Aus); Julio Perez (Mex); Domenico Romano (I); Antonio Varriale (I).

SAECO
Italy

Top GC rider: Dufaux

Top sprinter: Cipollini

Best stage win hopes: Cipollini

Giro will be a success if: Cipollini wins several stages, Savoldelli rebounds.

American connection: Cannondale

Equipment: Cannondale bikes

Sponsor: Italian espresso machine makers

Director: Claudio Corti

Giro team: Mario Cipollini (I); Biagio Conte (I); Laurent Dufaux (Swi); Massimiliano Mori (I); Pavel Padrnos (Cz); Fabio Sacchi (I); Paolo Savoldelli (I); Mario Scirea (I); Francesco Secchiari (I).

SELLE ITALIA-PACIFIC
Colombia

Top GC rider: Buenahora

Top sprinter: Marin

Best stage win hopes: Gonzalez

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage

Equipment: Daccordi bikes

Sponsors: Saddle manufacturer

Director: Gianni Savio

Giro team: Fortunato Baliani (I); Hernan Buenahora (Col); Joaquim Castelblanco (Col); Humberto Contreras (Col); Fredy Gonzalez (Col); Ruber Marin (Col); Andris Nauduzas (Lat); Leonardo Scarselli (I); Gianluca Tonetti (I).

TACCONI SPORT-VINI CALDIROLA
Italy

Top GC rider: Luttenberger

Top sprinter: Miceli

Best stage win hopes: Di Grande, Klemencic

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage

Equipment: DeRosa bikes

Sponsors: Sport clothing and wine producer

Director: Davide Boifava

Giro team: Ruggero Borghi (I); Paolo Bossoni (I); Giuseppe Di Grande (I); Mauro Ferrari (I); Mauro Gerosa (I); Andrej Hauptman (Slo); Zoran Klemencic (Slo); Peter Luttenberger (A); Nicola Miceli (I).

TEAM COLPACK-ASTRO
Italy

Top GC rider: Lunghi

Top sprinter: None

Best stage win hope: Lunghi

Giro will be a success if: Anyone wins a stage

Equipment: Gios bikes

Sponsor: Plastic bags manufacturer

Director: Antonio Bevilacqua

Giro team: Fabio Bulgarelli (I); Matteo Carrara (I); Michele Colleoni (I); Alessandro Cortinovis (I); Gianni Gobbini (I); Denis Lunghi (I); Rafael Mateos (Sp); Renzo Mazzoleni (I); Hidenori Nodera (Jpn).

TELEKOM
Germany

Top GC rider: Ullrich.

Top sprinter: Lombardi.

Best stage win hope: Sgambelluri

Giro will be a success if: Ullrich finishes top 5.

American connection: Livingston

Equipment: Pinarello bikes

Sponsor: International telecommunications corporation

Director: Rudy Pevenage

Giro team: Alberto Elli (I); Giuseppe Guerini (I); Danilo Hondo (G); Kai Hundertmark (G); Matthias Kessler (G); Kevin Livingston (USA); Giovanni Lombardi (I); Roberto Sgambelluri (I); Jan Ullrich (G).