Moreno wins Gran Piemonte
Katusha rider wins final sprint ahead of break companions
Dani Moreno (Katusha) scored a fine victory at Gran Piemonte, as he came home ahead of Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and teammate Luca Paolini in a small group finish in Novi Ligure.
The Spaniard slipped clear of the decisive 14-man break inside the final kilometre with the aid of the canny Paolini. Moreno had Paolini locked on his wheel on the last descent of the race, and when the Italian cleverly allowed a gap to develop, he was able to open a telling advantage over the group behind.
In spite of Vincenzo Nibali’s (Liquigas-Cannondale) late attempt to shut down the move, Moreno had enough in hand to hold on for the win, while a frustrated Van Avermaet took the sprint for second just behind.
“Paolini left a gap to Moreno on the last decent to the finish," Van Avermaet explained. "Nibali tried to close the gap and with 400 metres to go I went full out, but couldn't close the gap to him anymore."
A rapid start in Piasco
The winning break had its genesis in a 31-rider move that formed 85km into the race, after a searing beginning to proceedings in Piasco. Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Nibali and Daniele Bennati (Leopard Trek) were among their number, but neither the resurgent Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) nor defending champion Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) succeeded in making the cut.
By that point, world champion Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) had already left the race, the Briton abandoning after just 69km.
With such a strong collection of riders and wide spread of teams, the break quickly built up what would turn out to be an insurmountable lead. With 75km to go, they were 7:35 ahead of the peloton, and it was clear that they would divide the spoils between them, even if a small chase group including Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervélo) and Fabio Felline (Geox-TMC) battled gamely to close the gap.
Though the finale featured no standout climb, the terrain was rolling throughout, and inside the final 30km, the strongmen of the lead group came to the fore. Under impetus from Thomas Löfkvist (Sky), 14 riders forced their way clear and the Swede was joined by Moreno, Rodriguez, Paolini (Katusha), Van Avermaet, Matthias Frank, Ivan Santaromita (BMC), Nibali, Oliver Zaugg, Bennati (Leopard Trek), Nicolas Roche (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Przemysław Niemiec (Lampre-ISD) and André Steensen (Saxo Bank-Sungard).
Katusha and BMC worked to keep the group together on the run-in to the finish, and in spite of the best efforts Roche and Voeckler to force another selection, it all came down to a 14-man sprint.
While Van Avermaet was the man on form in the wake of his Paris-Tours victory, Katusha’s strength won out, with Paolini expertly piloting Moreno in the finishing straight. For good measure, the veteran Italian held off Voeckler and Roche to claim the third place on the podium.
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha | 4:45:16 |
2 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Pro Cycling | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - ISD | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard - Trek | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | André Steensen (Den) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Leopard - Trek | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Pro Cycling | 0:00:34 |
13 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Pro Cycling | 0:00:48 |
14 | Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha | 0:00:58 |
15 | Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | 0:02:05 |
16 | Daniele Colli (Ita) Geox - TMC | 0:02:11 |
17 | Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre - ISD | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua ASA Sapone | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | 0:08:37 |
28 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Pro Cycling | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua ASA Sapone | 0:09:39 |
31 | David Gutierrez Gutierrez (Spa) Geox - TMC | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Geox - TMC | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Davide Ricci Bitti (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | 0:09:43 |
34 | Maurizio Gorato (Ita) Geox - TMC | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Garmin - Cervelo | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Filippo Savini (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | 0:18:53 |
38 | Daniel Summerhill (USA) Garmin - Cervelo | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Luca Solari (Ita) Andalucia Caja Granada | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Omar Bertazzo (Ita) Andalucia Caja Granada | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua ASA Sapone | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Arkimedes Arguelyes Rodriges (Rus) Katusha | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Andalucia Caja Granada | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Marco Corti (Ita) Geox - TMC | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas - Cannondale | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) Lampre - ISD | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Pro Cycling | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Rafai Chtioui (Tun) Acqua ASA Sapone | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Leopard - Trek | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Claudio Corioni (Ita) Acqua ASA Sapone | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) HTC - Highroad | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard - Trek | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC - Highroad | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Dario David Cioni (Ita) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Pro Cycling | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | G. Luca Mirenda (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Garmin - Cervelo | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Gert Dockx (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Morris Possoni (Ita) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
78 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Saxo Bank - SunGard | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua ASA Sapone | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Garmin - Cervelo | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin - Cervelo | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Omega Pharma - Lotto | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Andrea Piechele (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
92 | Alberto Contoli (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Andalucia Caja Granada | 0:19:04 |
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