Pavel Brutt of Katusha won the 34th edition of the Classica Sarda one-day race after being part of a successful escape group.
The Russian took his first win of the season by a narrow margin ahead of Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli), with Giro di Sardegna winner Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) third.
A 22-man escape group got away only 11km into the race and stayed away until the end. At one point the break had a lead of ten minutes.
With ten km to go, the group had shrunk to 12 riders: Vincenzo Nibali, Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Robert Kiserlovski (Astana), Damiano Cunego, Francesco Gavazzi, (Lampre-ISD), Emanuele Sella, Robert Ferrari (Androni Giocattoli), Oscar Gatto, Elia Favilli (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli), Pavel Brutt (Katusha), Tino Zaballa (Miche) and Geraint Thomas (Great Britain).
Attack followed attack in the finale. Sella took the lead near the finish but Brutt caught and passed him to win by two seconds. Sagan led the remains of the group over the finish line three seconds later.
| 1 | Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team | 4:50:26 |
| 2 | Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:00:02 |
| 3 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:00:05 |
| 4 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| 6 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Great Britain National Team | 0:00:11 |
| 7 | Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Pro Team Astana | 0:00:12 |
| 8 | Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) Miche - Guerciotti | 0:00:16 |
| 9 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:00:30 |
| 10 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli | 0:00:39 |
| 11 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| 12 | Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team | 0:02:38 |
| 13 | Benjamin King (USA) Team RadioShack | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
| 14 | Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
| 15 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:02:43 |
| 16 | Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Pro Team Astana | 0:02:48 |
| 17 | Matthew Busche (USA) Team RadioShack | 0:03:16 |
| 18 | Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
| 19 | Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | 0:03:19 |
| 20 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
| 21 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:03:21 |
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