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Coppa Bernocchi win aids Paolini's cause

Luca Paolini closer to place on Italian worlds team

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Italy's Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre-NGC) won the three-day series, Trittico Lombardo.

Italy's Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre-NGC) won the three-day series, Trittico Lombardo. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), l, wins the Coppa Bernocchi.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), l, wins the Coppa Bernocchi. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Italy's Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) confirms his win.

Italy's Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) confirms his win. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo)

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) on the podium after his Coppa Bernocchi win.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) on the podium after his Coppa Bernocchi win. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) with the podium girls.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) with the podium girls. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) tops the podium with Danilo Hondo (PSK) and Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC), l & r.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) tops the podium with Danilo Hondo (PSK) and Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC), l & r. (Image credit: Sirotti)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) throws his bike at the line to win the Coppa Bernocchi ahead of Germany's Danilo Hondo (PSK).

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) throws his bike at the line to win the Coppa Bernocchi ahead of Germany's Danilo Hondo (PSK). (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) has won the Coppa Bernocchi.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) has won the Coppa Bernocchi. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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The Coppa Bernocchi podium: (L-R) Danilo Hondo (2nd, PSK), Luca Paolini (1st, Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) and Enrico Gasparotto (3rd, Lampre-NGC)

The Coppa Bernocchi podium: (L-R) Danilo Hondo (2nd, PSK), Luca Paolini (1st, Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) and Enrico Gasparotto (3rd, Lampre-NGC) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) tops the podium along with runner up Danilo Hondo (PSK) and third place Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC) .

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) tops the podium along with runner up Danilo Hondo (PSK) and third place Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC) . (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) is metres away from winning the Coppa Bernocchi.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) is metres away from winning the Coppa Bernocchi. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo) outsprints Danilo Hondo (PSK) to win the Coppa Bernocchi.

Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo) outsprints Danilo Hondo (PSK) to win the Coppa Bernocchi. (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla)

Italian Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone) won the Coppa Bernocchi today in Legnano, Italy, ahead of German's Danilo Hondo (PSK Whirlpool) and Italy's Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC). Brit Steve Cummings (Barloworld) finished fourth in the sprint ahead of teammate Geraint Thomas.

"The race was fast and uncontrolled from the start, but we took it in hand," said Paolini. "Thanks to the team, they believed in me to the end. To win near home is nice, where I have lots of friends."

The 91st edition of the Coppa Bernocchi, 199.3 kilometres, started and ended in Legnano. It featured five climbs up the Morazzone.

The winning escape went free on the penultimate climb with Cummings and Thomas, Gasparotto and Enrico Magazzini (Lampre), Hondo, Paolini, Mauro Finetto (CSF Group-Navigare) and Alessandro Proni (ISD).

Thomas worked for teammate and last year's winner Cummings in the final kilometres, but Gasparotto and the others marked him. Hondo then initiated the final sprint that Paolini successfully closed for the win.

The race is an important race for selection in Italy's World Championships team. Team director Franco Ballerini will select the team September 14, 13 days before the race.

It was Paolini's second win of the season, after a stage in April's Settimana Lombarda.

Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre-NGC) won Tuesday's Tre Valli Varesine and finished second in yesterday's Coppa Agostoni, the first two of three races that make up the Trittico Lombardo. He won the overall classification thanks to his results. 

Results
1Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo4:23:48
2Danilo Hondo (Ger) PSK Whirlpool - Author
3Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
4Steven Cummings (GBr) Barloworld
5Geraint Thomas (GBr) Barloworld
6Enrico Magazzini (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C.)
7Mauro Finetto (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
8Alessandro Proni (Ita) ISD0:02:23
9Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD
10Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld
11Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
12Daniele Colli (Ita) Carmiooro - A-Style
13Jure Kocjan (Slo) Carmiooro - A-Style
14Daniele Callegarin (Ita) Centri della Calzatura
15Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas
16Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha
17Yuri Metlushenko (Ukr) Amore & Vita - McDonald's0:05:23
18Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce
19Roberto Ferrari (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
20Zsolt Der (Srb) Centri della Calzatura
21Michele Merlo (Ita) Barloworld
22Davide D'angelo (Ita) Centri della Calzatura
23Matic Strgar (Slo) Vorarlberg - Corratec
24Domenico Loria (Ita) Centri della Calzatura
25Sergio Dominguez (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo
26Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas
27Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
28Marcello Pavarin (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
29Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
30Honorio Machado (Ven) Betonexpressz 2000 - Limonta
31Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
32Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
33Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
34Alex Meenhorst (NZl) Nazionale Elettronica New Slot - Hadimec
35Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
36Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) ELK Haus
37Michael Baer (Swi) Nazionale Elettronica New Slot - Hadimec
38Claudio José Casas (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo
39Salvador Guardiola Tora (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampo
40Diego Alejandro Tamayo Martinez (Col) Carmiooro - A-Style
41Frantisek Padour (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author
42Elias Schmäh (Swi) Vorarlberg - Corratec
43Artur Krol (Pol) Centri della Calzatura
44Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
45Esad Hasanovic (Srb) Centri della Calzatura
46Serguei Gretchyn (Ukr) Amore & Vita - McDonald's
47Fabio Negri (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
48Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Vorarlberg - Corratec
49Harald Totschnig (Aut) ELK Haus
50Tom Criel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
51Krzysztof Szczawinski (Pol) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia
52Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha
53Daniele Di Nucci (Ita) Centri della Calzatura
54Volodymyr Starchyk (Ukr) Amore & Vita - McDonald's
55Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha
56Jakub Danacik (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author
57Vladislav Borisov (Rus) Amore & Vita - McDonald's
58Olegs Melehs (Lat) Meridiana - Kalev Chocolate Team
59Clemens Fankhauser (Aut) ELK Haus
60Simon Clarke (Aus) ISD
61Christoph Sokoll (Aut) Vorarlberg - Corratec
62Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Liquigas
63Gianluca Mirenda (Ita) ISD
64Danilo Andrenacci (Ita) Nazionale Elettronica New Slot - Hadimec
65Francesco Tomei (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
66Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Vorarlberg - Corratec
67Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
68Filippo Savini (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
69Iker Camano (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
70Marco Corsini (Ita) Team Corratec
71Dario Andriotto (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
72Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team Katusha
73Laurent Beuret (Swi) Carmiooro - A-Style
74Tiziano Dall'antonia (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
75Ivan Martinez Jimenez (Spa) Contentpolis-Ampr
76Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
77Alessandro Fantini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
78Markus Eibegger (Aut) ELK Haus
79Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
80Pavel Zitta (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author
81Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Orbea
82Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
83Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
84Davide Ricci Bitti (Ita) ISD
85Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld
86Hector Gonzalez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
87Alberto Fernandez (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
88Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
89Maxim Belkov (Rus) ISD
90Sergio Lagana (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
91Steffen Radochla (Ger) ELK Haus
92Jan Valach (Svk) ELK Haus
93Roberto Antonio Richeze (Arg) Betonexpressz 2000 - Limonta
94Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha
95Luca Pierfelici (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
96Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
97Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
98Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
99Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld
100Pedro Merino Criado (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
101Andrea Moletta (Ita) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia
102Alan Marangoni (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
103Manuel Belletti (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
104Marco Frapporti (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
105Rodrigo Garcia Rena (Spa) Miche - Silver Cross - Selle Italia
106Fabio Terrenzio (Ita) Carmiooro - A-Style
107Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce
108Simone Stortoni (Ita) CSF Group - Navigare
109Denis Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
110Serhiy Honchar (Ukr) Team Corratec
111Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
112Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vorarlberg - Corratec
113Cristiano Fumagalli (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce
114Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
115Eddy Serri (Ita) Meridiana - Kalev Chocolate Team

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