Contador wins Milano-Torino

Alberto Contador (Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) won the Milan-Turin race thanks to a powerful acceleration one kilometre from the finish at the summit of the Superga climb overlooking Turin.

The oldest race on the Italian race calendar finished atop the Superga after a first passage and a short final circuit. Contador was unstoppable on the final part of the climb, attacking and winning alone. Italy’s Diego Ulissi (Lampre-ISD) finished second, Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana Pro Team) was third, with Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team) fourth.

Saxo Bank worked hard for Contador all race, chasing down the early break by Federico Rocchetti (Utensilnord Named) and Alfredo Balloni (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) and then pulling back a six-rider move after the first climb of the Superga sparked by Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale).

It was Contador's first one-day race victory since he turned professional in 2002. All his other victories have come in stage races.

"This is a great win. My teammates believed I could do it from the start of the race and so I couldn't mess it up. After all the work they did for me at the Vuelta, I still feel indebted to them and wanted to pay them back with another win," Contador said.

“This morning, when I woke up, weighed 2.4kg more than at the Vuelta, I knew there were 190 kilometres of racing and that I hadn't trained yesterday and had only done 40km the day before. But the point was to get to the finish line with some strength in my legs.

“I had to make a full-on effort. Joaquim [Rodriguez] had taken a few metres and I had to work to catch him. I took a few breaths on his wheel and then tried to go. I'm very, very happy to win, especially in Italy."

Contador dedicated his victory to Victor Cabedo –the young Basque rider who was recently killed in an accident while out training.

Ulissi was disappointed that he was unable to go with Contador in the final kilometre of the race but his ride boosted his confidence for Saturday's Il Lombardia.

"I'm sorry I didn’t manage to finish off a good race with the win," he said in a press release from his Lampre-ISD team.

" I raced well, dosing my energy and reading the race carefully. I didn’t have a great moment on the first climb of the Superga but I felt better on the final climb. I followed Kessiakoff and kept him within distance and then got on Rodriguez's wheel. But when Contador went it was game over even though I tried to close the gap. Still, at least I'm confident I'll be in the action at Il Lombardia."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank4:32:12
2Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - ISD0:00:15
3Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana0:00:24
4Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team0:00:36
5Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Acqua & SaponeRow 4 - Cell 2
6Fabio Taborre (Ita) Acqua & Sapone0:00:43
7Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox0:00:45
8Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff BankRow 7 - Cell 2
9Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-CannondaleRow 8 - Cell 2
10Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:00:53
11Christopher Horner (USA) Radioshack-NissanRow 10 - Cell 2
12Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-SharpRow 11 - Cell 2
13Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 12 - Cell 2
14Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha TeamRow 13 - Cell 2
15Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 14 - Cell 2
16John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:01:06
17Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes0:01:11
18Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:01:16
19Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox0:01:18
20Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre - ISD0:01:20
21Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Pro Team AstanaRow 20 - Cell 2
22Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-CannondaleRow 21 - Cell 2
23Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin-SharpRow 22 - Cell 2
24Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma - QuickstepRow 23 - Cell 2
25Fabio Aru (Ita) Pro Team AstanaRow 24 - Cell 2
26Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISDRow 25 - Cell 2
27Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 26 - Cell 2
28Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Utensilnord NamedRow 27 - Cell 2
29Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - ISDRow 28 - Cell 2
30Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) Utensilnord NamedRow 29 - Cell 2
31Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La MondialeRow 30 - Cell 2
32Jan Bakelants (Bel) Radioshack-NissanRow 31 - Cell 2
33Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Radioshack-NissanRow 32 - Cell 2
34Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-CannondaleRow 33 - Cell 2
35George Bennett (NZl) Radioshack-NissanRow 34 - Cell 2
36Alessandro Proni (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 35 - Cell 2
37Luca Dodi (Ita) Team IdeaRow 36 - Cell 2
38Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff BankRow 37 - Cell 2
39Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 38 - Cell 2
40Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin-SharpRow 39 - Cell 2
41Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-CannondaleRow 40 - Cell 2
42Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 41 - Cell 2
43Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 42 - Cell 2
44Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 43 - Cell 2
45Patxi Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Utensilnord NamedRow 44 - Cell 2
46Tanel Kangert (Est) Pro Team AstanaRow 45 - Cell 2
47Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 46 - Cell 2
48Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 47 - Cell 2
49Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 48 - Cell 2
50Alfredo Balloni (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 49 - Cell 2
51Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - ISDRow 50 - Cell 2
52Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ-Big MatRow 51 - Cell 2
53Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 52 - Cell 2
54Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 53 - Cell 2
55Roberto Giacobazzi (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 54 - Cell 2
56Dalivier Ospina Navarro (Col) Colombia - ColdeportesRow 55 - Cell 2
57Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Lampre - ISDRow 56 - Cell 2
58Ben Hermans (Bel) Radioshack-NissanRow 57 - Cell 2
59Luca Barla (Ita) Team IdeaRow 58 - Cell 2
60Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia - ColdeportesRow 59 - Cell 2
61Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma - QuickstepRow 60 - Cell 2
62Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Katusha TeamRow 61 - Cell 2
63Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha TeamRow 62 - Cell 2
64Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha TeamRow 63 - Cell 2
65Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha TeamRow 64 - Cell 2
66Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia - ColdeportesRow 65 - Cell 2
67Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia - ColdeportesRow 66 - Cell 2
68Carlos José Ochoa (Ven) Androni GiocattoliRow 67 - Cell 2
69Fabio Piscopiello (Ita) Utensilnord NamedRow 68 - Cell 2
70Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma - QuickstepRow 69 - Cell 2
71Michael Rodriguez Galindo (Col) Colombia - ColdeportesRow 70 - Cell 2
72Bruno Pires (Por) Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff BankRow 71 - Cell 2
73Simone Ponzi (Ita) Pro Team AstanaRow 72 - Cell 2
74Cristian Cominelli (Ita) Team IdeaRow 73 - Cell 2
75Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff BankRow 74 - Cell 2
76Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle ItaliaRow 75 - Cell 2
77Sergio Lagana (Ita) Utensilnord NamedRow 76 - Cell 2
78Thierry Hupond (Fra) Argos - ShimanoRow 77 - Cell 2
79Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 78 - Cell 2
80Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 79 - Cell 2
81Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 80 - Cell 2
82Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 81 - Cell 2
83Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 82 - Cell 2
84Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma - QuickstepRow 83 - Cell 2
85Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos - ShimanoRow 84 - Cell 2
86Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Argos - ShimanoRow 85 - Cell 2
87Aristide Ratti (Ita) Team IdeaRow 86 - Cell 2
88Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 87 - Cell 2
89Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 88 - Cell 2
90Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-CannondaleRow 89 - Cell 2
91Warren Barguil (Fra) Argos - ShimanoRow 90 - Cell 2
92Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 91 - Cell 2
93Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos - ShimanoRow 92 - Cell 2
94Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 93 - Cell 2
95Stiven Fanelli (Ita) Utensilnord NamedRow 94 - Cell 2

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Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.

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