Gerolsteiner's "second" weekend

By Susan Westemeyer

Two races, two second places -- that was Gerolsteiner's weekend in Italy. "But second place is also a good result," said Directeur Sportif Christian Wegmann.

It started Saturday in the Giro dell'Emilia, a race which Davide Rebellin won last year. He was in a 12-man escape group and close to the one-kilometre mark up the final climb of San Luca broke away with CSC's Fränk Schleck, who ended up beating the Italian by one second. "The team worked well and Davide brought in a top result," Wegmann said on the team's website, gerolsteiner.de. "Davide rode very well. He was the only one who could go, when Schleck attacked on the last climb. Of course we hoped that he would win again, but Schleck proved to be a tick stronger in the end."

Things worked out similarly the next day for the directeur sportif's brother, Fabian, who was second in a photo finish in the Gran Premio Beghelli. "That was a damned close thing," said older brother Christian. Oliver Zaugg was in an escape group that was caught only on the last lap of the circuit course. A 16-strong group formed and headed to the sprint in front of the peloton. Wegmann lunged for the line, but Lampre's Damiano Cunego proved to be faster and crossed the line in first. "We rode a really good race," Christian Wegmann said, and looked optimistically to the upcoming Giro di Lombardia. "That gives us hope."