Italian Giovanni Visconti (ISD) won the Coppa Agostoni today in Lissone, Italy, in a sprint of seven men. He won ahead of Italy's Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre-NGC) and Spain's Francisco José Ventoso (CarmioOro - A-Style).
"I don't know how many were coming from behind us, I am only happy to finish ahead of them," said Visconti.
The lead group finished with a 20-second lead over the field.
Michele Scarponi and Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni), Miguel Rubiano Chávez (Centri della Calzatura) and Pasquale Muto (Miche-Silver Cross) were also part of the seven-man escape.
Italian Muto joined the other six only in the final kilometre. He immediately went to the front to anticipate the sprint.
The race started Monza and ended in Lissone, covering 197.2 kilometres. It tackled the Lissolo climb six times, the final ascent occuring with approximately 20 kilometres to the finish. The escape of six formed on the fifth time up Lissolo.
Agostoni was Visconti's second win of the season, adding to his win in stage two of the Tour de Slovénie. Last year, he wore the leader's pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia for eight days and in 2007 he won the Italian Championships.
Santambrogio won yesterday's Tre Valli Varesine, the first of three races that make up the Trittico Lombardo. With his second place today he leads the overall classification. Tomorrow's 199.3-kilometre Coppa Bernocchi concludes the series.
"I had the team all behind me today," said Santambrogio. "It was great to have the world champion, Ballan, and all the rest of my teammates. I would have appreciated very much another victory, but Visconti, a very good cyclist, beat me in the sprint. Tomorrow I'll take part in Coppa Bernocchi in order to try to win the overall standing of Trittico Lombardo."
German Linus Gerdemann won the 2008 edition of the Coppa Agostoni.
| 1 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD | 4:49:07 |
| 2 | Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| 3 | Francisco Jose Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Carmiooro - A Style | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| 4 | Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5 | Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Centri della Calzatura | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| 6 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| 7 | Pasquale Muto (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia | 0:00:07 |
| 8 | Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo | 0:00:18 |
| 9 | Philipp Mamos (Ger) Amore & Vita - McDonald's | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| 10 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
| 11 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| 12 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| 13 | Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
| 14 | Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
| 15 | Volodymyr Starchyk (Ukr) Amore & Vita - McDonald's | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
| 16 | Luca Solari (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
| 17 | Jaroslaw Dabrowski (Pol) Amore & Vita - McDonald's | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
| 18 | Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Team Corratec | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
| 19 | Yauheni Sobal (Blr) Centri Della Calzatura | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
| 20 | Emanuele Sella (Ita) Carmiooro - A Style | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
| 21 | Mauricio Soler (Col) Barloworld | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
| 22 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
| 23 | Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
| 24 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
| 25 | Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
| 26 | Luca Iattici (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
| 27 | Cristiano Salerno (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
| 28 | Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Amica Chips - Knauf | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
| 29 | Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
| 30 | Massimo Giunti (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
| 31 | Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
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