Duque delivers for Colombia in GP Beghelli

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Leonardo Duque scored the third victory of the season for the Colombia team with a solo attack in the finale of the 198km GP Beghelli in Monteveglio, Italy on Sunday. The 33-year-old dedicated the win to his daughter on her 7th birthday and to his grandmother, who died recently at age 97.

"I could not fly to Colombia due to the race schedule, and I want to honor her memory with this success," Duque said of his grandmother Julia.

It was the second win of 2013 for Duque after a stage in the Tour de l'Ain and the 10th of his career, which has spanned a decade, most of it spent with the Cofidis team. He moved across to the team from his home country this season.

"The team was amazing today," Duque said. "I think this win will help all of us to restart with greater enthusiasm as soon as we start building up for the new season. Team Colombia and Claudio Corti showed me confidence, both as a team player and as a protected rider, and I am happy I have been able to contribute with two nice wins."

Directeur sportif Valerio Tebaldi confirmed that the team had been working for Duque. "We raced for him all the way today, and he surprised everyone with a move at 600 metres to go, immediately opening a decisive gap," Tebaldi said. "To do something like that in the final race of the season you need to be more than talented and physically gifted: you need planning, concentration, commitment. You need to be a real professional, like Leonardo showed through the whole year. He was a key piece of our team, and he will be in 2014 too."

The team was represented in the day's breakaway by Dalivier Ospina, who was part of a 16-man move which gained close to six minutes. The final rider to be reeled in, Marco Coledan (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox) was pulled back on the last lap. Duque then jumped clear before the sprint could get fully underway, beating two Lampre-Merida riders, Manuele Mori and Elia Favilli by a single second.

"I am really happy, there's no better way to wrap up a season," Tebaldi said.