Gavazzi sprints to Coppa Agostoni victory

Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) sprinted to victory to take the Coppa Agostoni in Lissone, Italy. The Italian outlasted his fellow countryman Mauro Santambrogio (BMC) in the finishing straight to take his third win of the season. Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone) rounded out the podium in third. 

The race’s key moment came 42km from the finish on the final climb of the Colle Brianza, when Santambrogio’s attack brought a twenty-strong group clear of the field. Marco Pinotti (HTC-Columbia) and Andrea Tonti (Carmiooro-NGC) subsequently forced their way off the front in the finale but they struggled to stretch out an advantage over the chasers. Their bold bid for glory was ultimately snuffed out in the closing stages and it all came down to a sprint finish.

Coming into the finishing straight, Luca Paolini appeared poised for victory, but the Acqua & Sapone fastman found himself isolated and unable to make an impact. By contrast, Gavazzi was able to rely on a perfect lead-out from his teammate Simone Ponzi, and that was enough to edge out Santambrogio in the sprint.

Gavazzi comes from Morbegno in Lombardy and was thus delighted to take a win on roads so close to home, labelling it “a beautiful victory on a hard route.”

The Lampre rider explained that the Coppa Agostoni was a process of elimination from start to finish. “The race was tough from the start because the pace was so high and there were so many breakaway attempts,” Gavazzi said afterwards. “I was ready and alert when the first selection happened on the Ghisallo, and with my teammates Cunego, Pietropolli, Marzano and Ponzi we were able control the situation.”

Once he made it into the final selection, Gavazzi realised that he was capable of taking the win. “I understood that my condition was really excellent when I got into the decisive break of twenty riders on the Colle Brianza,” he said. The 26-year-old was also keen to praise his teammates. “Marzano was unbeatable for his generosity of effort and Ponzi made no mistakes in the lead-out for the sprint”.

In the finishing straight, Gavazzi was pushed all the way to take the win. “Santambrogio was a tough opponent,” said Gavazzi. “I had to stop myself from raising my arms to celebrate because otherwise Mauro would have overtaken me."

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Full Results
1Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini4:42:15
2Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 1 - Cell 2
3Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 2 - Cell 2
4Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Meridiana Kamen TeamRow 3 - Cell 2
5Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 4 - Cell 2
6Vladislav Borisov (Rus) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 5 - Cell 2
7Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - TransitionsRow 6 - Cell 2
8Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica FlaminiaRow 7 - Cell 2
9Enrico Zen (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 8 - Cell 2
10Serafin Martinez (Spa) Xacobeo GaliciaRow 9 - Cell 2
11Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 10 - Cell 2
12Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas-DoimoRow 11 - Cell 2
13Jure Golcer (Slo) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 12 - Cell 2
14Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC - ColumbiaRow 13 - Cell 2
15Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC - ColumbiaRow 14 - Cell 2
16Cristiano Salerno (Ita) De Rosa - Stac PlasticRow 15 - Cell 2
17Simone Ponzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese ViniRow 16 - Cell 2
18Andrea Tonti (Ita) Carmiooro NGCRow 17 - Cell 2
19Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone0:00:26
20Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini0:00:45
21Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini0:05:25
22Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 21 - Cell 2
23Fortunato Baliani (Ita) MicheRow 22 - Cell 2
24Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - TransitionsRow 23 - Cell 2
25Tomaz Nose (Slo) Adria MobilRow 24 - Cell 2
26Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing TeamRow 25 - Cell 2
27Carlos José Ochoa (Ven) Androni GiocattoliRow 26 - Cell 2
28Giuseppe Muraglia (Ita) CDC - CavaliereRow 27 - Cell 2
29Pasquale Muto (Ita) MicheRow 28 - Cell 2
30Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Footon-ServettoRow 29 - Cell 2
31Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Farnese ViniRow 30 - Cell 2
32Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & SaponeRow 31 - Cell 2
33Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF InoxRow 32 - Cell 2
34Emanuele Sella (Ita) Carmiooro NGCRow 33 - Cell 2
35Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-DoimoRow 34 - Cell 2
Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.

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