Bettini off with a bang

In a race that traditionally serves as an appetizer for the first major classic of the year Milan-Sanremo, Bettini left no doubt with a first burst right after 1km banner, then a second that left the rest of the field scrambling for sloppy seconds.

"Last year I suffered in this race because I'd had a lot of health problems. This year my form is much better and I've shown it," Bettini told reporters.

"I knew the final part of the stage and timed my effort just right. I have to thank my team mates because they did a great job helping me on the climb to the finish.

"Winning is even nicer when everything goes perfect like that."

Bettini won the Tirreno-Adriatico in 2004 and is eager to earn a second overall victory.

"I'm not going to hold back. This year's route is tough. The stage five time trial and the uphill finish at San Giacomo on stage six will decide the race," Bettini said.

"Levi Leipheimer and Stefano Garzelli are the big favourites but I've thrown my hat into the ring and I'm going to give it a go."

There's another squad aside from Quick Step with reason to smile, however, Zabel's Milram.

At 35, the six-time Tour de France green jersey confirmed his early season form by finishing second and so did the rest of the new Italian-German outfit, keeping last year's Primavera winner Alessandro Petacchi in the hunt until the final 300 metres.

After Petacchi's win in the Giro della Pronvicia di Lucca on Monday, Zabel told reporters how delighted he was to play the role of lieutenant after 12 seasons as T-Mobile sprint leader and Wednesday's performance surely makes Petacchi a good bet to repeat his performance on the Via Roma come March 18.

Also with reason to smile were Rabobank as last year's overall winner of Tirreno Oscar Freire showed promise in his first major race back from a season of illness and injury, keeping pace in the final climb.

In fact, it was Michael Boogerd who tried his luck under the 1km banner before getting reeled in ahead of Bettini's finish.

Spare a thought for Lance Armstrong's nemesis, Filippe Simeoni. The veteran Naturino rider took off four kilometres into the race, was joined after 12km by two neo-pros - Matteo Priamo (Ceramiche) and Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Liberty Seguros) - and gobbled up by a wary pack with less than three kilometres to go.

With a speedy 40km/h pace under cool, sunny skies, the pack never let the lead grow beyond 9"38"" with a little more than 100km to go.

On Thursday, the Race Between The Two Seas leaves Tivoli for a 171km relatively hilly ride to Frascati.

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