Time trial victory moves him above team-mate Huzarski
Having already proven its worth thanks to its team time trial victory and race leadership with Bartosz Huzarski, the NetApp squad clocked up more success today in the Settimana Coppi e Bartali race when Jan Barta won the individual time trial.
The Czech rider covered the 14.3 kilometre Crevalcore test in sixteen minutes 46 seconds, some four seconds faster than the Italian Adriano Malori (Lampre ISD).
Former Giro d’Italia victor Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) did what he could to try to take the stage win but had to be happy with third overall, nine seconds back, while the talented young Liquigas Cannondale competitor Moreno Moser, nephew of legendary competitor Francesco Moser, was fourth.
Huzarski had started the day with a ten second lead over Danilo di Luca (Acqua & Sapone) and was eleven ahead of Diego Ulissi (Lampre ISD). All finished outside the top placings, with Ulissi being best in ninth, 22 seconds back.
Huzarski was a further four seconds behind in eleventh, and this was enough to enable Barta to leapfrog over him and win the race outright. Ulissi remained third, while Di Luca – who could only place 35th – dropped to tenth overall.
Garzelli and his team-mate Francesco Reda finished up fourth and fifth.
The result is a major vindication for the NetApp team, which earlier this year received a wildcard for the Giro d’Italia ahead of the likes of the Acqua & Sapone team. Two stage wins and first and second overall shows that the team must be taken seriously, and will give its riders additional confidence as it prepares for the Grand Tour.
“I take my hat off to the team for their achievement,” said NetApp sports directeor Jens Heppner. “We showed ourselves to be the dominant team here, but most of all I’m pleased for the boys who managed to make the breakthrough and have realized they can ride with the best. This success will mean we can go into the coming races with much more confidence.”
Team manager Ralph Denk said it was a very significant result for the German squad. “This is a historic victory. It is the first tour victory in our team’s history,” he enthused. “The team’s strong performance is not only good for team morale but, most importantly, it shows us where we stand with our team right now and that we are up to the challenges that lie ahead.”