Tuesday, July 08, 2008

La Marmotte: Slick Corradini outsprints Dekker in thriller!

ALPE D'HUEZ - The 2008 edition of the most prestigious international cyclo, La Marmotte, was one of the most exciting ever. After a fantastic dual on the climb to Alpe d'Huez, Italy's Antonio Corradini dove inside of Holland's Bert Dekker at the final roundabout to claim his first Marmotte victory in 6:02:12. Dekker, a triple winner himself, had to be satisfied with second place after his best run in years. Konstantin Kluyev was third 2'27" behind, Michel Roux fourth and Michel Snel fifth in 6:05:07. Snel got dropped on the Galibier but recovered remarkably and still gained a few places towards the end.

The event was held in splendid weather conditions and saw no fewer than 5300 people reach the finish atop Alpe d'Huez. The last rider crossed the line in 13:42:32.

Corradini is a 37-year-old rider of the famous Team Salieri. The biggest name of the team, Emmanuele Negrini, winner of last week's Maratona delle Dolomiti, did not participate in this year's Marmotte.

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