Lorenzetto marks season's third in Friuli

Mirco Lorenzetto of Lampre-NGC won his third race of the season Wednesday on the rain-soaked roads of the 31st Giro del Friuli in northeast Italy. The Italian, winner of two stages in the Giro di Sardegna, finished head of Grega Bole (Amica Chips-Knauf), Manuel Belletti (Diquigiovanni-Androni) and Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) after 184.2 kilometres of racing.

The race, returning after a five-year break, consisted of a circuit around Pordenone. Maxim Gourov (CarmioOro - A-Style) and Oleksandr Kvachuk (ISD) escaped early into the race. The duo gained up to 10 minutes on the peloton led by Barloworld and then Lampre-NGC, LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini and Liquigas. Kvachuk lasted until the final four kilometres.

The favourites – including Franco Pellizotti and Roman Kreuziger (both Liquigas), Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni-Androni), Petacchi, Leonardo Bertagnolli (Amica Chips-Knauf), Dario Cioni (ISD) and Eros Capecchi (Fuji-Servetto) – formed a group that numbered 30 and animated the finale.

"We took the situation in hand and forced the pace with Bruseghin and then Grendene," said Lampre Directeur Sportif Fabrizio Bontempi. "Other than Lorenzetto, we also had Bandiera, Bindi and Da Dalto in the lead group."

After the final Caneva Castle climb that featured in each circuit, the flat 25 kilometres set up for the sprint. Lorenzetto kept control into Pordenone ahead of Bole, Belletti and Petacchi. (GB)