Clasica de Almeria 2011: Results

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Matteo Pelucchi (Geox-TMC) was the surprise winner of the Clasica de Almeria. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Victor Cabedo (Orbea Continental) leads Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil - DCM) and Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) in a late-race break. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Thumbs up from Clasica de Almeria winner Matteo Pelucchi (Geox-TMC). (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling riders on the start line. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) chat on the start line. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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The Clasica de Almeria peloton negotiates a bridge. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Michael Matthews (Rabobank) and Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek) at the front of the early break. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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A Saur-Sojasun rider on the attack. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Arkaitz Duran (Geox-TMC) (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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A Rabobank rider sets tempo in the peloton. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek) (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Clasica de Almeria Matteo Pelucchi (Geox-TMX) on the podium. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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The Andalucia Caja Granada team pre-race meeting. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Frank Schleck and his Leopard Trek teammates sign in. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Luxembourg champion Frank Schleck awaits the start. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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A bit of pre-race stretching from Peter Stetina (Garmin - Cervelo). (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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An Orbea Continental rider drives the peloton. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Oscar Pujol (Omega Pharma-Lotto) at the head of the early break. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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The Clasica de Almeria peloton in action. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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The Andalucia Caja Granada team leads the peloton. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

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Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil - DCM) fuels up. (Image credit: Bosco Martin)

Neo-pro Matteo Pelucchi (Geox-TMC) was the surprise winner of the Clasica de Almeria on Sunday. The 22-year-old Italian bested Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) and Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) in the field sprint finale to earn the first victory of his career, as well as the first win for his Spanish Pro Continental squad.

Early in the 179.5km Spanish one-day race a strong breakaway went clear including such riders as Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek), Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo), Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar), Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Michael Matthews (Rabobank) and Ruslan Pydgornyy (Vacansoleil-DCM).

This move was eventually neutralised and a trio containing Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM), Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) and Victor Cabedo (Orbea Continental) made their bid for victory. The trio worked well together late into the race, but the peloton brought them back inside of five kilometres to go.

The peloton stayed together through to the finish where Pelucchi notched the first win of his professional career.

Full Results
1	Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Geox-TMC	4:22:56
2	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
3	Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
4	Christophe Laborie (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
5	Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
6	Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Caja Rural
7	Diego Milan Jimenez (Spa) Caja Rural
8	Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
9	Michal Golas (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
10	Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
11	Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
12	Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Cervelo
13	Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
14	Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
15	Adrian Saez (Spa) Orbea Continental
16	Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo
17	Marko Kump (Slo) Geox-TMC
18	Christian Meier (Can) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
19	Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
20	Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
21	Benat Urain Epelde (Spa) Orbea Continental
22	David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Geox-TMC
23	Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Orbea Continental
24	Blazej Janiaczyk (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
25	David Gutierrez Gutierrez (Spa) Geox-TMC
26	Pablo Lechuga Rodriguez (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
27	Gert Dockx (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
28	Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
29	Peio Bilbao (Spa) Orbea Continental
30	Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Spa) Orbea Continental
31	Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
32	José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (Por) CCC Polsat Polkowice
33	Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
34	Jean-Lou Paiani (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
35	Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
36	Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek
37	Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
38	Lukasz Bodnar (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
39	Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek
40	Oleg Chuzhda (Ukr) Caja Rural
41	Manuel Ortega Ocana (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
42	Carlos Oyarzun (Chi) Movistar Team
43	Mario Aerts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
44	Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
45	Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
46	Ruben Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural
47	Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
48	Jose Luis Cano (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
49	Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
50	Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
51	Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
52	Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
53	Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
54	Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
55	Anders Lund (Den) Leopard Trek
56	Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Geox-TMC
57	Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
58	Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
59	Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo
60	Wouter Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
61	Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
62	Joaquin Sobrino (Spa) Caja Rural
63	Xabier Zabalo Imaz (Spa) Orbea Continental
64	Paul Poux (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
65	Ruslan Pydgornyy (Ukr) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
66	Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun	0:00:12
67	Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team	0:00:18
68	Oscar Pujol Munoz (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto	0:00:24
69	Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:25
70	Sébastien Joly (Fra) Saur - Sojasun	0:00:29
71	Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team	0:00:31
72	Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team	0:00:39
73	Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
74	Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
75	Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
76	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
77	Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Saur - Sojasun	0:00:48
78	Victor Cabedo (Spa) Orbea Continental	0:00:54
79	Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team	0:01:07
80	Aritz Etxebarria (Spa) Orbea Continental	0:01:18
81	Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:54
82	Cyril Bessy (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
83	Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
84	Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Spa) Caja Rural
85	Jose Vicente Toribio Alcolea (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada	0:02:51
86	Jose Luis Roldan Carmona (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
87	Juan Javier Estrada Ruiz (Spa) Andalucia Caja Granada
88	Arkaitz Duran Aroca (Spa) Geox-TMC
89	Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
90	Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Caja Rural
91	Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team
92	Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling