Pozzato picks up much-needed win

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Filippo Pozzato has salvaged something from his 2011 season with a well-deserved win in the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli, making a daring late-race attack to solo to victory, 19 seconds ahead of countrymen Manuel Belletti (Colnago-CSF Inox) and Giovanni Visconti (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli).

"I'm very happy to be back to winning," said Pozzato. "I needed it in order to erase a long, bad period, in which I suffered from some serious injuries, too.

"I want to thank a lot my teammates, especially [Luca] Paolini. Thanks to his brilliant work, the followers' group slowed down its chase, so I was able to win quite easily."

The first attack of the day came after 18km from Luxembourger Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale), who amassed an advantage of 5:40 after 32km of the race. He was joined later by Leonardo Pinizzotto (Miche–Guerciotti) and Diego Caccia (Farnese Vini–Neri Sottoli) and over the next 110km another 15 chasers made their way up the road.

Bauke Mollema and Grischa Niermann (Rabobank), Maxime Monfort and Oliver Zaugg (Leopard Trek) Pozzato and Luca Paolini (Katusha), Maurizio Gorato (Geox-TMC), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Giovanni Visconti (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli), Manuel Belletti (Colnago-CSF Inox), Francesco Di Paolo, Alessandro Donati, Claudio Corioni and Fabio Taborre (Acqua & Sapone) and Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (D'Angelo & Antenucci – Nippo) fled the peloton to form a star-studded breakaway that would eventually fight for line honours.

The instigator, Gastauer, and Pinizzotto eventually paid for their efforts and lost contact with the front group before Pozzato kicked into action on the final climb, attacking his companions in the break and holding steady to ensure he crossed the line solo for his first win this season.

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