Amazing Kristin-Bravissima Noemi!

The Mendrisio Worlds have begun today with the U-23 TT race and the women TT race. Unfortunately I couldn't see the U-23 race because of school,but I was able to see the woman race and I really liked it.

The winner,as miss Sansen predicted few days ago,was American Kirstin Armstrong,who rode in an amazing way.
Armstrong is also the Olympic Champion and today she's won the World Championship TT race for the second time in her career."It does not matter what year and how many time you are world champion,it is always the best feeling in the world,"she said after the race.
The American rider won her first gold medal three year's ago in Salzburg,Austria.She prepared to arrive in top form for the Beijing Olympics in August last year and could only manage fifth at Worlds in Varese,Italy.
Armstrong's last race will be Saturday's World Championships road race.She will retire from competition and take up a management position with a team of developing riders in the USA. Talking about my country team,Italy had 2 cyclists in the race,Tatiana Guderzo and Noemi Cantele.Nobody expected a medal from them and so Cantele's amazing silver medal was welcomed in a great way.
Cantele's race was really emotional,at least for the Italian tifosi.In fact there was a great battle between Noemi and Linda Melanie Villumsen for the silver medal.With few kms to go there were just 2 seconds of difference between them,while Austrian Soeder was 6 seconds slower than the Italian.
When Villumsen started to get near to the finish-line (Cantele had already finished her race),Italian chronists started to count: "Villumsen's time is 36'and 19",36' and 20",36' and 21" and...She's slower than Cantele! Cantele is going to get a medal!! Cantele is going to be on the podium!! Cantele! A medal for Italy!"
Of course everyone was incredibly happy and also Noemi (who is 28 year-old,lives near to Varese and rides for the Swiss team Bigla) was really pleased with her performance.
"I rode without a heart rate monitor or a race radio,I just wanted to follow my feelings,"she said after the race."After the second time up the climb I heard I was going well via the car's speaker." Cantele said she was encouraged to race her first Worlds time trial after her first participation, and victory, at the Italian championships in June."Maybe it is a good idea to keep on trying to win the Worlds!"
Young Dane rider Linda Melanie Villumsen,24 year-old,finally came in 3rd,while Austrian Christiane Soder lost 20 seconds to Cantele in the last part of the race and finally came in 5th.4th was German Judith Arndt.
After the race,Villumsen said:"I am happy with my bronze medal and I'll be back next year to challenge for a higher place".
Other Italian rider,Tatiana Guderzo,finally came in 18th.

This morning instead there was the U-23 TT Race,that I couldn't see and that was won by Australia's Jack Bobridge,20-year-old."It's just topped off an awesome year for me.I could not ask for much else,to win for Australia,it's awesome,"said the Adelaide boy after the race.
Portugal's Nelson Oliveira finished second with a time of 41:03,18 seconds behind Bobridge. German Patrick Gretsch instead was third at 27 seconds behind the winner.
Oliveira and Gretsch were both happy with their placings.
"I wanted to ride in the top ten, so a second place is great,"said Oliveira.
Patrick Gretsch,one of the pre-race favourites,said:""It is always hard when you are in that position,but I can leave here happy with third." Italian Adriano Malori (I'm sorry but in this period I'll probably be more patriotic than usual-don't worry,I'll come back to normality on Monday) was really disappointed after his race."I had a bad day.The "normal" Malori could have won,instead...I've trained for a month for this race and now I realise that all the sacrificies I've made weren't useful at all.It's one of my worst defeats.The only good thing is that 2009 will soon be over.Next year I'll begin a new adventure between the pro-riders",said Malori,who has recently signed a contract with Lampre-Ngc.

As you probably already know,tomorrow there is the men TT race and my personal pick for tomorrow's podium is 1.Cancellara 2.Larsson 3.Wiggins.Fangirl (who in this period gets on even too well with Patriotism) would love to see Pinotti on the podium,but has to admit that the adversaires of the Professor will be very strong.
In Fangirl/Logic's common classification,the riders who may make it to the podium are Cancellara (of course),Larsson,Grabsch,Tuft,Wiggins,Brajkovic,Lang,Vinokourov & Kasheckin (perhaps I'm a bit evil,but I hope that none of these 2 Kazakhs will manage to get on the podium),Ignatiev and Boom.Fangirl hopes also in a surprise by Bak,Konovalovas and Kyrienkia.
(Pics by Bettini and Sirotti)