Visconti wins Coppa Agostoni from seven-man sprint

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Italian Giovanni Visconti (ISD) won the Coppa Agostoni today in Lissone, Italy, in a sprint of seven men. He won ahead of Italy's Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre-NGC) and Spain's Francisco José Ventoso (CarmioOro - A-Style).

"I don't know how many were coming from behind us, I am only happy to finish ahead of them," said Visconti.

The lead group finished with a 20-second lead over the field.

Michele Scarponi and Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni), Miguel Rubiano Chávez (Centri della Calzatura) and Pasquale Muto (Miche-Silver Cross) were also part of the seven-man escape.

Italian Muto joined the other six only in the final kilometre. He immediately went to the front to anticipate the sprint.

The race started Monza and ended in Lissone, covering 197.2 kilometres. It tackled the Lissolo climb six times, the final ascent occuring with approximately 20 kilometres to the finish. The escape of six formed on the fifth time up Lissolo.

Agostoni was Visconti's second win of the season, adding to his win in stage two of the Tour de Slovénie. Last year, he wore the leader's pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia for eight days and in 2007 he won the Italian Championships.

Santambrogio won yesterday's Tre Valli Varesine, the first of three races that make up the Trittico Lombardo. With his second place today he leads the overall classification. Tomorrow's 199.3-kilometre Coppa Bernocchi concludes the series.

"I had the team all behind me today," said Santambrogio. "It was great to have the world champion, Ballan, and all the rest of my teammates. I would have appreciated very much another victory, but Visconti, a very good cyclist, beat me in the sprint. Tomorrow I'll take part in Coppa Bernocchi in order to try to win the overall standing of Trittico Lombardo."

German Linus Gerdemann won the 2008 edition of the Coppa Agostoni.