Nizzolo wins Italian road championships

Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT Pro Cycling) became the Italian national road race champion for the second time in his career, winning a sprint from a group of 13 riders in Cittadella on Sunday.

Nizzolo has endured a string of injury troubles since he last won the title in 2016 but confirmed his return to top form in 2020 with a strong sprint after 253 tough kilometres of racing.

The 31-year-old pipped Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck-QuickStep) to the line in a close sprint, with Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren), who opened up the sprint, taking the bronze medal.

“It was a crazy sprint. Of course, sprints are always chaotic, and it wasn’t easy to finish it off. I went really late, but I really wanted to win,” Nizzolo said.

“Since we restarted the season I have felt good. I had a good look at the course yesterday and thought ‘it’s hard but I can try and win this’. I don’t want to be selfish but I want to dedicate this win to myself a little but because I’ve worked hard over a difficult couple of years, and I’m really happy to be back at my best level.”

Nizzolo, who won a stage of Paris-Nice in March and placed 5th at Milan-San Remo a fortnight ago, looked strong throughout the 253.8km race, which featured an early loop followed by 12 laps of a 12.5km circuit that featured the Rosina climb, averaging six per cent over 2km. The last lap would also feature the short narrow cobbled climb of La Tisa, 850m at 13.5 per cent, which would have looked more at home in the Tour of Flanders.

It was on La Tisa where the first true selection was made, after an unruly early breakaway of 27 riders – formed after a group of 21 went after the original seven – had been caught with 50km to go, the last survivors being Fausto Masnada (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo).

Ballerini set a fierce pace on the climb and it split over the top, with Nizzolo, Colbrelli, Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates), Andrea Bagioli (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), Daniel Oss (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Marco Canola (Gazprom-RusVelo) going clear. On the final climb of La Rosina, there was a further shake-up, as Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team), Andrea Vendrame (AG2R La Mondiale), Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), Samuele Battistella (NTT Pro Cycling), Kristijan Sbaragli (Alpecin-Fenix), Giacomo Garavaglia (Kometa Xstra) made their way across to make it 13 out front, with Canola dropped.

Formolo had seemed to halt an attack at the top of the climb to wait for Ulissi to come back on, and the pair tried to attack on the flat 20km run-in, as did De Marchi. However, after a lapse in collaboration saw a chase group come to within 15 seconds, QuickStep and NTT used their numbers to drive the group to the line.

Oss led into the final kilometre before Colbrelli opened the sprint from distance. Ballerini was on his wheel and looked to make a convincing hit-out, until an advancing Nizzolo on the left came up and took the tricolore with a bike throw.

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Full Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling 5:48:37
2Davide Ballerini (Ita) Deceuninck-Quickstep
3Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
4Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R la Mondiale
5Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
6Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
7Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) CCC Team
8Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Deceuninck-Quickstep
9Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Kometa Xstra
10Davide Formolo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
11Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:04
12Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
13Samuele Battistella (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling 0:00:12
14Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team Sunweb 0:01:31
15Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
16Matteo Trentin (Ita) CCC Team
17Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
18Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
19Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
20Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
21Luca Chirico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
22Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
23Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore e Vita-Prodir
24Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
25Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:36
26Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
27Fausto Masnada (Ita) CCC Team
28Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:01:37
29Stefano Oldani (Ita) Lotto Soudal 0:03:52
30Davide Cimolai (Ita) Israel Start-Up Nation
31Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega 0:06:58
32Antonio Di Sante (Ita) Sangemini Trevigiani MG.k Vis
33Daniel Savini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
34Davide Rebellin (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team
35Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
36Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Circus-Wanty Gobert
37Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
38Nicola Bagioli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
39Davide Gabburo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
40Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
41Mauro Finetto (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence
42Filippo Rocchetti (Ita) ASD Zalf Euromobile Desiree Fior
43Simone Petilli (Ita) Circus-Wanty Gobert
44Davide Casarotto (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
45Manuel Pesci (Ita) ASD Team Malmantile
46Luca Wackermann (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM 0:07:09
47Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:08:14
DNFAlessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNFMarco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNFOliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNFEdward Ravasi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNFGianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNFMatteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNFAntonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNFDavide Martinelli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNFManuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNFEros Capecchi (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
DNFManuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFAlessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFMattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFLuca Pacioni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFNicola Venchiarutti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFMattia Viel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFVincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFMarco Benfatto (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFGiovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFLuca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFNicolas Dalla Valle (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFIuri Filosi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFilippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFGiovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFabio Mazzucco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFAlessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFUmberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFAlessandro Pessot (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFrancesco Romano (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFManuel Senni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFAlessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFilippo Zaccanti (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFilippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFMatteo Pelucchi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFFabio Sabatini (Ita) Cofidis
DNFElia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
DNFAttilio Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
DNFDamiano Cima (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNFImerio Cima (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNFCristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNFAlessandro Fedeli (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence
DNFRiccardo Minali (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence
DNFLeonardo Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie
DNFNiccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie
DNFMatteo Spreafico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNFLiam Bertazzo (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFMattia Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFSimone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFFrancesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFAndrea Di Renzo (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFLorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFMarco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFAndrea Garosio (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFAlessandro Iacchi (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFUmberto Marengo (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFLorenzo Rota (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFRiccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFEdoardo Zardini (Ita) Vini Zabu' KTM
DNFRiccardo Marchesini (Ita) Amore e Vita-Prodir
DNFMatteo Domenicali (Ita) Beltrami TSA Marchiol
DNFGregorio Ferri (Ita) Beltrami TSA Marchiol
DNFMarco Grendene (Ita) Beltrami TSA Marchiol
DNFValter Ghigino (Ita) D'Amico um Tools
DNFIvan Martinelli (Ita) D'Amico um Tools
DNFNicolas Nesi (Ita) D'Amico um Tools
DNFLuca Raggio (Ita) D'Amico um Tools
DNFRiccardo Lucca (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNFDaniel Smarzaro (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNFEmanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria
DNFFederico Zurlo (Ita) Giotti Victoria
DNFAndrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria
DNFFilippo Bertone (Ita) Iseo Serrature-Rime-Carnovali
DNFRiccardo Verza (Ita) Kometa Xstra
DNFPierpaolo Ficara (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling
DNFDanilo Celano (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling
DNFAntonio Santoro (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFPaolo Totò (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFFederico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFMatteo Rotondi (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFFrancesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFDario Puccioni (Ita) Work Service-Dinatek-Vega
DNFNiccolo' Salvietti (Ita) Sangemini Trevigiani MG.k Vis
DNFFrancesco Di Felice (Ita) Sangemini Trevigiani MG.k Vis
DNFRaffaele Radice (Ita) Sangemini Trevigiani MG.k Vis

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Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is an NCTJ-trained journalist, and former deputy editor of Cyclingnews, who has seven years’ experience covering professional cycling. He has a modern languages degree from Durham University and has been able to put it to some use in what is a multi-lingual sport, with a particular focus on French and Spanish-speaking riders. Away from cycling, Patrick spends most of his time playing or watching other forms of sport - football, tennis, trail running, darts, to name a few, but he draws the line at rugby.


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