Viviani sprints to victory at Donoratico
Liquigas rider beats Modolo in Italian season-opener
Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) claimed his second successive GP Costa degli Etruschi victory by outsprinting Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Bardiani) in a bunch finish in a frozen Donoratico, with Filippo Baggio (Utensilnord-Named) the best of the rest in third.
Viviani and Modolo enjoyed a number of sprint tussles on the domestic calendar last year, and their duel was always likely to decide the outcome of the traditional curtain opener to the Italian season, particularly given that Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) had insisted beforehand that he would not take any risks in the treacherous conditions.
Unsure of whether or not the wily Petacchi was bluffing, however, Viviani planted himself on his wheel in the finale. Although Petacchi was at the business end of affairs, he ultimately opted not to contest the sprint, and his reticence meant that Viviani was forced to change horses mid-course.
“I thought that Petacchi would be the man to beat and so I held his wheel from 3km to go until the last 300 metres,” Viviani said afterwards. “Seeing that he wasn’t going for it, I jumped onto Modolo’s wheel, because he was being led out. With 70 metres to go, I came around him.”
The win was Viviani’s second of the season, after he captured a stage victory at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last week. For his rival Modolo, it was the first outing of the season, and his directeur sportif Roberto Reverberi was determined to focus on the positives.
“It was a beautiful sprint, uncertain right to the end, and Modolo jumped well with 200 metres to go,” Reverberi pointed out. “It’s a second place that augurs well.”
Extreme conditions see reduction in distance
Plummeting temperatures and heavy snowfall in Tuscany in the days leading up to the race had threatened the cancellation of the GP Costa degli Etruschi, with Saturday morning’s Gazzetta dello Sport going so far as to question whether it was reasonable to expect riders to risk life and limb in such conditions. Ultimately the race proceeded, albeit with one concession to the weather – the peloton would cover just two laps of the opening circuit rather than three, reducing the total distance to 169km.
Winter jackets, tights and snoods were the order of the day as the bunch pedalled gingerly away from a slightly delayed start in San Vincenzo. With temperatures hovering just above freezing, however, a number of riders were in no mood to hang around, and the main break of the day had forged clear within 15km.
Alessandro De Marchi (Androni), Davide Ricci Bitti (Farnese-Selle Italia) and Federico Rocchetti (Utensilnord-Named) were the three men who forced their way clear, and they quickly built up a maximum advantage of 11 minutes as they proceeded steadily through the snow-draped Tuscan countryside.
Inside the final 80km, their lead slowly but surely began to dwindle, as Liquigas-Cannondale, Colnago-CSF Bardiani and Lampre-ISD set to work on the front of the peloton, and by the time they reached the final lap of the finishing circuit with 10km, they had just 20 seconds in hand on the bunch.
At that point, the plucky De Marchi took a flyer and tried to hold off the peloton alone, but his effort fizzled out within 3 kilometres, and the stage was set for a grandstand finish in Donoratico. While Lampre-ISD did much of the spadework in clearing a path for the sprint, it was ultimately the youngsters Viviani and Modolo who fought it out, with Viviani emerging victorious.
A big 2012 stretches out before Viviani. As well as competing with a number of fast young Italian sprinters on the road, he is also building towards the London 2012 Olympics, where he hopes to compete in the omnium on the track.
“Now I’m taking part in the next races on the Italian calendar, starting with the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, but the next important aim is the last round of the track World Cup in London,” Viviani said. “It will be important to get a good result there for the Olympics.”
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 4:25:00 |
2 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Filippo Baggio (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Giorgio Brambilla (Ita) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Team Nippo | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Team Idea | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Krisztian Lovassy (Hun) | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Enrico Rossi (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Luca Barla (Ita) Team Idea | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Baptiste Plackaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Kevin Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Filippo Fortin (Ita) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Giuseppe De Maria (Ita) Team Idea | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Gianluca Maggiore (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Alexander Serebryakov (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Marco Zanotti (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Stefano Agostini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Omar Bertazzo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Mauro Abel Richeze (Arg) Team Nippo | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Jeffry Johan Romero Corredor (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Kevin Claeys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Marcel Aregger (Swi) Atlas Personal - Jakroo | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Ruslan Karimov (Uzb) Team Idea | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Tiziano Dall'antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Landbouwkrediet | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Fabio Silvestre (Por) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Jonathan Breyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Cristian Cominelli (Ita) Team Idea | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Olivier Hofstetter (Swi) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Nicolas Winter (Swi) Atlas Personal - Jakroo | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Joeri Bueken (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Jesus Ezquerra (Spa) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Michaël Baer (Swi) Atlas Personal - Jakroo | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Bruno Radotic (Cro) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Matti Helminen (Fin) Landbouwkrediet | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Roberto De Patre (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Juan Pablo Forero Carreno (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Pit Schlechter (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Aldo Ino Ilesic (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Dalivier Ospina Navarro (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Marco Coledan (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Simone Boifava (Ita) Team Idea | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Marton Solymosi (Hun) | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Team Nippo | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Oleg Berdos (Mda) Utensilnord Named | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Gilles Devillers (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Florian Salzinger (Ger) Atlas Personal - Jakroo | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Davide Mucelli (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Julian Kern (Ger) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Paolo Locatelli (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Christian Delle Stelle (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Patrick Schelling (Swi) Atlas Personal - Jakroo | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Ryohei Komori (Jpn) Team Nippo | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Maurizio Biondo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
78 | Rafael Andriato (Bra) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Antonio Parrinello (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Blaz Bonca (Slo) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Joey Rosskopf (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Bendeguz Bernard (Hun) | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Boris Shpilevsky (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Frederico Rocchetti (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Javier Gonzalez Barrera (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
92 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Joel Zangerle (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Adrian Kurek (Pol) Utensilnord Named | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Acqua & Sapone | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
96 | Peter Simon (Hun) | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
97 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
98 | Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
99 | Andrea Palini (Ita) Team Idea | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
100 | Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
101 | Francesco Reda (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
102 | Antonio Santoro (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
103 | Luca Dodi (Ita) Team Idea | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
104 | Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
105 | Davide Ricci Bitti (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
106 | Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
107 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
108 | Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
109 | Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
110 | Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
111 | Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
112 | Biel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
113 | Alexander Zdanov (Rus) Team Nippo | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
114 | David John Mclean (GBr) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
115 | Jasmin Becirovic (Cro) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
116 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
117 | Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
118 | Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre - ISD | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
119 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
120 | Andrea Di Corrado (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 119 - Cell 2 |
121 | Aristide Ratti (Ita) Team Idea | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
122 | Mariano Giallorenzo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
‘I will never really drop the Spring Classics for a GC’ - Lotte Kopecky
World champion has shown that both can be combined successfully in a season -
Eric Brunner running, literally, towards third elite men's US cyclocross title and better grid position at European races
'The LA games are 100% on my mind' says multi-discipline rider as he begins long-term path to 2028 Olympic Games -
UCI president formally asked WADA to ban Carbon Monoxide use
Many WorldTour teams use CO rebreathers as part of altitude training -
Lotte Kopecky, Tadej Pogaçar win 2024 Vélo d’Or awards
Luis Angel Maté recognised in new category honouring riders' social commitment