sentences:  He was then given a place in the national team at the 1997 UCI Road World Championships in San Sebastián, Spain; he took part in the junior road race, finishing in 104th position.In April 2001, riding for the Site–Frezza amateur team, Scarponi came second to Yaroslav Popovych in the Giro del Belvedere one-day race.In April–May 2001, he won the fifth stage and came second overall in the Giro delle Regioni, again to Popovych.