Riccò takes Coppa Sabatini

Riccardo Riccò (Vacansoleil) took victory at the Coppa Sabatini after a battle between the Vacansoleil and ISD-Neri teams on the finishing circuit in Peccioli. Riccò outsprinted his teammate Marco Marcato and Leonardo Bertagnolli (Androni) for the win, while a tired Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) came home in fourth.

Riccò’s success offered an uneasy reminder of the polemics that have engulfed Italian cycling in recent days. Anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri’s assertion that doping is widespread in the sport sparked huge debate earlier in the week and the controversial Riccò’s victory comes just a week after it was reported that anti-doping police had raided his Modena home.

The early part of the race was dominated by a four-man breakaway made up of Alessandro Proni (Acqua & Sapone), Leonardo Pinizzotto (Miche), Davide Bonuccelli (CDC) and Federico Canutti (Colnago-CSF). The quartet gained a maximum advantage of 3:50 before being swept up in the final 40km.

Oscar Pujol (Cervélo) and Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) were among the riders who attempted to escape in the closing stages but the peloton remained together. Italian champion Visconti was very active on the front in the final kilometres as he forced the pace on the front without managing to break clear.

The effects of Visconti’s journey back from the world championships in Australia were ultimately telling, however, and he was unable to make an impact in the finishing sprint. Instead, it was left to Riccò to take his first win for Vacansoleil by comfortably distancing his teammate Marcato in the closing metres, while Bertagnolli held on for third ahead of a flagging Visconti. 

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Full Results
1Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team4:18:15
2Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling TeamRow 1 - Cell 2
3Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 2 - Cell 2
4Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD - NeriRow 3 - Cell 2
5Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Omega Pharma-LottoRow 4 - Cell 2
6Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 5 - Cell 2
7Davide Appollonio (Ita) Cervélo TestTeamRow 6 - Cell 2
8Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 7 - Cell 2
9Simone Stortoni (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 8 - Cell 2
10Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 9 - Cell 2
11Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Omega Pharma-LottoRow 10 - Cell 2
12Walt De Winter (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto0:00:09
13Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox0:00:10
14Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Androni GiocattoliRow 13 - Cell 2
15Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 14 - Cell 2
16Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) ISD - NeriRow 15 - Cell 2
17Daniele Callegarin (Ita) CDC - CavaliereRow 16 - Cell 2
18Mikhail Antonov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 17 - Cell 2
19Christophe Brandt (Bel) Omega Pharma-LottoRow 18 - Cell 2
20Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervélo TestTeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Luca Solari (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 20 - Cell 2
22Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 21 - Cell 2
23Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha0:00:24
24Francesco Tizza (Ita) Carmiooro NGCRow 23 - Cell 2
25Luciano Barindelli (Ita) Carmiooro NGCRow 24 - Cell 2
26Oleg Berdos (Mda) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 25 - Cell 2
27Alexander Mironov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 26 - Cell 2
28Pasquale Muto (Ita) MicheRow 27 - Cell 2
29Alessandro Proni (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 28 - Cell 2
30Nikita Eskov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 29 - Cell 2
31Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Omega Pharma-LottoRow 30 - Cell 2
32Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 31 - Cell 2
33Luca Zanasca (Ita) CDC - CavaliereRow 32 - Cell 2
34Jure Golcer (Slo) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 33 - Cell 2
35Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Cervélo TestTeamRow 34 - Cell 2
36Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 35 - Cell 2
37Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 36 - Cell 2
38Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 37 - Cell 2
39Emanuele Sella (Ita) Carmiooro NGC0:01:31
40Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling TeamRow 39 - Cell 2
41Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling TeamRow 40 - Cell 2
42Marco Frapporti (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 41 - Cell 2
43Aristide Ratti (Ita) Carmiooro NGC0:02:13
44Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team KatushaRow 43 - Cell 2
45Tom Stubbe (Bel) Omega Pharma-LottoRow 44 - Cell 2
46Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Miche0:02:25
47Sergio Lagana (Ita) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 46 - Cell 2
48Eugenio Loria (Ita) CDC - CavaliereRow 47 - Cell 2
49Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Acqua & SaponeRow 48 - Cell 2
50Fabrice Piemontesi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 49 - Cell 2
51Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 50 - Cell 2
52Elia Favilli (Ita) ISD - NeriRow 51 - Cell 2
53Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling TeamRow 52 - Cell 2
54Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) MicheRow 53 - Cell 2
55Sebastien Fournet Fayard (Fra) Carmiooro NGCRow 54 - Cell 2
56Claudio Cucinotta (Ita) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 55 - Cell 2
57Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 56 - Cell 2
58Marcel Wyss (Swi) Cervélo TestTeamRow 57 - Cell 2
59Oscar Pujol Munoz (Spa) Cervélo TestTeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Leopoldo Rocchetti (Ita) MicheRow 59 - Cell 2

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