Vincenzo Nibali wins national road title

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) took a much needed victory ahead of the Tour de France with win in the Italian national road race on Saturday.

Nibali beat neo-pro Davide Formolo (Cannondale) in second place with Matteo Rabottini (Neri Sottoli) finishing in third. The Astana leader attacked inside the last mile with only Formolo able to respond.

The race began with 124 riders setting out with attacks almost from the gun. A seven-man move slipped clear after 13 kilometers of racing, with the group quickly building up a lead close to four minutes. With strength in numbers in the bunch and having missed the move, Cannondale set about controlling the pace, and they made sure that the break didn’t have too much room. After 70km of racing, the gap had moved out to 5:20, but by now the leaders were starting to fade and within another 15km the gap to the bunch had dropped to 4:30.

Cannondale were given a hand when Astana joined them on the front of the peloton - a move that spelled the begging of the end for the seven up the road.

Gozzi and Cecchinel were the last remaining rider from the break as they held a plucky 40 seconds over the bunch, that had been reduced to less than 30 riders. With still 56km to go Gozzi was a spent force, leaving Cecchinel on his own and at the head of the race.

A counter attack was always on the cards and Elia Viviani (Cannondale), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale), Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma) and Ricardo Pichetta (Team Idea) set off after Cecchinel was reeled in.

They were soon joined by Michele Scarponi (Astana) and Gianfranco Zilioli (Androni). Nibali and several others made their move and after a number of skirmishes six riders remained: Scarponi, Nibali, Pozzovivo, Formolo, Rabottini and Ivan Santaromita. With 18km to six became 17 with more riders latching on.

On the final climb of the race Nibali took the situation by the scruff of the neck, whittling down the final break to a few riders before jumping clear in the last mile with Formolo.

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team)5:40:54
2Davide Formolo (Cannondale)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Matteo Rabottini (Neri Sottoli)0:00:06
4Giovanni Visconti (Movistar Team)0:00:07
5Damiano Caruso (Cannondale)0:00:12
6Daniel Oss (BMC Racing Team)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale)0:00:23
8Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky)0:00:25
9Mauro Finetto (Neri Sottoli)0:00:29
10Ivan Santaromita (Orica GreenEdge)0:00:41
11Michele Scarponi (Astana Pro Team)0:02:33
12Gianfranco Zilioli (Androni Giocattoli)0:03:31
13Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff-Saxo)0:04:52
14Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani CSF)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Matteo Busato (MG Kvis - Trevigiani)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff-Saxo)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Antonio Santoro (Meridiana Kamen Team)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Moreno Moser (Cannondale)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Alessio Taliani (Androni Giocattoli)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Nicola Gaffurini (Vega - Hotsand)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Luca Dodi (Lampre-Merida)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Cristiano Salerno (Cannondale)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Simone Ponzi (Neri Sottoli)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Manuele Mori (Lampre-Merida)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Eros Capecchi (Movistar Team)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale)0:04:59
29Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani CSF)0:06:14
30Mirko Tedeschi (Team Idea)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Alessandro Bisolti (Vini Fantini Nippo)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Alessandro Bazzana (Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team)0:06:24
34Cesare Benedetti (Team Netapp - Endura)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Marco Tecchio (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Simone Petilli (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Francesco Gavazzi (Astana Pro Team)0:07:12
38Marco Marcato (Cannondale)0:07:18
39Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida)0:11:20
40Gianluca Brambilla (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Angelo Pagani (Bardiani CSF)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Davide Villella (Cannondale)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Alfredo Balloni (CEF)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Alessio Camilli (Vega - Hotsand)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Stefano Tonin (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Fabio Felline (Trek Factory Racing)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Antonio Nibali (Marchiol Emisfero)0:11:25
48Gianluca Mengardo (Area Zero Pro Team)0:16:08
49Silvio Giorni (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 48 - Cell 2
DNFOmar Bertazzo (Androni Giocattoli)Row 49 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Di Serafino (Androni Giocattoli)Row 50 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli)Row 51 - Cell 2
DNFAntonio Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli)Row 52 - Cell 2
DNFEmanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli)Row 53 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Testi (Androni Giocattoli)Row 54 - Cell 2
DNFValerio Agnoli (Astana Pro Team)Row 55 - Cell 2
DNFEnrico Gasparotto (Astana Pro Team)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNFJacopo Guarnieri (Astana Pro Team)Row 57 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Vanotti (Astana Pro Team)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFPaolo Colonna (Bardiani CSF)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Canola (Bardiani CSF)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFSonny Colbrelli (Bardiani CSF)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Manfredi (Bardiani CSF)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFStefano Locatelli (Bardiani CSF)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Piechele (Bardiani CSF)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFDonato De Ieso (Bardiani CSF)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNFEnrico Barbin (Bardiani CSF)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNFFrancesco Manuel Bongiorno (Bardiani CSF)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Bono (Lampre-Merida)Row 68 - Cell 2
DNFMattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida)Row 69 - Cell 2
DNFValerio Conti (Lampre-Merida)Row 70 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Palini (Lampre-Merida)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFLuca Wackermann (Lampre-Merida)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFIvan Basso (Cannondale)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFAlberto Bettiol (Cannondale)Row 74 - Cell 2
DNFOscar Gatto (Cannondale)Row 75 - Cell 2
DNFAlan Marangoni (Cannondale)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Sabatini (Cannondale)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFElia Viviani (Cannondale)Row 78 - Cell 2
DNFGiorgio Cecchinel (Neri Sottoli)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFLuigi Miletta (Neri Sottoli)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFMattia Pozzo (Neri Sottoli)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Taborre (Neri Sottoli)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFMirko Tedeschi (Neri Sottoli)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFGiampaolo Caruso (Team Katusha)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFLuca Paolini (Team Katusha)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFDavide Appollonio (AG2R La Mondiale)Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFAdriano Malori (Movistar Team)Row 87 - Cell 2
DNFPier Paolo De Negri (Vini Fantini Nippo)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Malaguti (Vini Fantini Nippo)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFRiccardo Stacchiotti (Vini Fantini Nippo)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFPaolo Ciavatta (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Chinello (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFGianluca Leonardi (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Pasqualon (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFCharly Petelin (Area Zero Pro Team)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Spreafico (Team Idea)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFRicardo Pichetta (Team Idea)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Collodel (Team Idea)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Pettiti (Team Idea)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFEnrico Franzoi (Marchiol Emisfero)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFAlberto Cecchin (Marchiol Emisfero)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFSimone Antonini (Marchiol Emisfero)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Vaccher (Marchiol Emisfero)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFDaniele Aldegheri (MG Kvis - Trevigiani)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFLorenzo Di Remigio (MG Kvis - Trevigiani)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFMattia Frapporti (MG Kvis - Trevigiani)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Dal Santo (CEF)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFAlfonso Fiorenza (CEF)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Gozzi (CEF)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFGiacomo Forconi (CEF)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Belli (CEF)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFAntonio Merolese (CEF)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFGianni Franco D'intino (Vega - Hotsand)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFSante Di Nizio (Vega - Hotsand)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFMoreno Giampaolo (Vega - Hotsand)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Riccardi (Vega - Hotsand)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFSimone Stortoni (Amore & Vita - Selle SMP)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFDavide Vigano (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFGiacomo Nizzolo (Trek Factory Racing)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFEugenio Alafaci (Trek Factory Racing)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFDavide Mucelli (Meridiana Kamen Team)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFKristian Sbaragli (MTN - Qhubeka)Row 122 - Cell 2

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