Image 1 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 43 Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) was caught out by the final attack. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 3 of 43 Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 4 of 43 Geraint Thomas (Sky) was in the break but missed the final selection. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 5 of 43 Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-ISD) attacks and is marked by Peter Sagan and Oscar Gatto (obscured) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 6 of 43 Emanuelle Sella, Pavel Brutt and Peter Sagan made up the podium in the Clasica Sarda (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 7 of 43 Emanuell Sella (Androni Giocattoli) reacts to Brutt's attack (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 8 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) puts in the race-winning move at the Classica Sarda (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 9 of 43 Sella, Brutt and Sagan on the podium (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 10 of 43 Emanuelle Sella (Androni Giocattoli) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 11 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) celebrates as he heads to the win. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 12 of 43 The peloton rolls out for the Classica Sarda. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 13 of 43 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 14 of 43 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 15 of 43 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 16 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) has a dig (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne) Image 17 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 18 of 43 Everyone wave (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 19 of 43 The Clasica Sarda podium: Sella, Brutt and Sagan (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 20 of 43 Favilli and Cunego exchange their thoughts on the sprint (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 21 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 22 of 43 Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 23 of 43 Constantino Zaballa (Miche) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 24 of 43 Elia Favilli (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 25 of 43 Jonathan Monsalve (Androni Giocattoli) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 26 of 43 Brutt crosses the line (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 27 of 43 Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre - ISD) sprints against Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 28 of 43 Brutt gave it everything during his final surge (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 29 of 43 Sagan leads the chasers home (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 30 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) celebrates his win (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 31 of 43 The sign-on was near the archeological ruins of Barumini (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 32 of 43 The Clasica Sarda peloton (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 33 of 43 The race rolls out (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 34 of 43 RadioShack and BMC riders sign on (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 35 of 43 The race leaves the archeological site of Barumini (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 36 of 43 The chasers roll on (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 37 of 43 it was another hard day in the saddle in Sardinia (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 38 of 43 Many in the chasing peloton climbed off at the feed (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 39 of 43 The Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli team lead the chase (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 40 of 43 Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) out of the saddle (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 41 of 43 The break goes through the feed zone (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 42 of 43 Pavel Brutt (Katusha) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 43 of 43 Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) 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.
Brief Results
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 5 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli 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 12 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:02:38 13 Benjamin King (USA) Team RadioShack 14 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 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 19 Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 0:03:19 20 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 21 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:21
