Ruffoni wins Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli

Nicola Ruffoni (Bardiani-CSF) won the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli on Sunday ahead of Filippo Pozzato (Wilier Trestina-Southeast) and Jens Keukeleire (Orica-BikeExchange).

“Most of the credit for today’s win belongs to my teammates” said Ruffoni. “Our goal in the morning was to create the right conditions for a sprint and I was the appointed leader, but the finale was a really hard challenge for my legs. When the peloton split, we were 35 riders in the leading group. Orica started an incredible forcing to put the sprinters out of the game. Teammates supported me on the final steep climb, then took me in the leading positions. I had to sprint at least in third position I would take the win. Simion and Colbrelli managed the final km in the best way. At 250 Sonny [Colbrelli] was first and I was second. At 150 meters I opened the gas and crossed the line."

The men's 196.3km race started and finished in Montegeglio, and is a series of end-of-season races held in Italy. An initial breakaway included seven riders: Christian Eiking (FDJ), Yuma Koishi (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Diego Rubio (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Alberto Nardin (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec), Artur Ershov (Gazprom - RusVelo), Thierry Hupond (Delko Marseille Provence Ktm) and Andrea Ruscetta (GM Europe).

Rubio and Nardin were the last remaining of the breakaway with 1:40 minutes ahead of the field with 55km to go. But that gap was cut in half, down to 55 seconds with under 40km to the line.

Ten kilometres later, the field was completely back together, which led the way for a large 12-rider breakaway to set off but with several riders from Orica-BikeExchange in that move, it was doomed to fail, and the field was back together with 13km to go.

More attacks came from Kristian Sbaragli and Jaco Venter, while Nick Dougall and Ryan Gibbons tried to bridge across. But the main field reeled in all breakaway attempts in the closing kilometres as team with sprinters hunted the stage win.

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