GP Cerami 2008

The Team Barloworld riders currently based in northern Europe showed they are ready for Sunday’s prestigious Paris-Roubaix classic, with Patrick Calcagni winning the 43rd edition of the GP Pino Cerami race in Wasmuel, Belgium on Thursday.

Claudio Corti’s riders dominated the race right from the start. South Africa’s Robert Hunter was part of a 150 km breakaway with team mate Daryl Impey and Janek Tombak (Mitsubishi–Jartazi) that went clear at the first sprint and the trio were only caught 40 km from the finish.

Several strong attacks were made in the finale of the race but there was always a Team Barloworld rider in the action, with first Christopher Froome and then Carlo Scognamiglio in the moves. A group of 30 riders, including Calcagni, went clear 15 km from the finish and then the Swiss rider confidently won the sprint ahead of Italian Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step).

It was yet another important win for Team Barloworld in the spring classics of northern Europe and comes just over a week after Enrico Gasparotto’s stage victory in the Three Days of De Panne.

Britain’s Steve Cummings was part of a breakaway during the hilly and wind-affected stage with his Team Barloworld team mates Duenas and Sabido but was caught by the main peloton just 30 metres from the finish. Friday’s third stage is a 31 km time trial from N. Sra. Neves to Beja.

1 Patrick Calcagni (SUI) Barloworld 4.38.22
2 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
3 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
4 Paul Moucheraud (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
5 Benny De Schrooder (Bel) An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton-Sean Kelly Team
6 Danilo Wyss (SUI) BMC Racing Team
7 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld
8 Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
9 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton-Sean Kelly Team
10 Kevin Ista (Bel) Agritubel