Pozzato reigns supreme in Cavriago

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Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) took victory in the fifth edition of the Memorial Cimurri-Grand Prix Bioera on Saturday in Cavriago, Italy.

The Italian national champion sprinted to victory at the head of a group of forty riders. Acqua & Sapone's Luca Paolini finished second, while Daniele Colli (Carmiooro–A Style) claimed the final podium spot.

The early stages of the race were marked by a breakaway of six riders, who escaped after 35 kilometres.

Vladimir Duma (Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Showers), Hector Gonzalez (Fuji-Servetto), Riccardo Chiarini (LPR - Farnese Vini), Alessandro Donati (Acqua & Sapone), Vitaliy Kondrut (ISD-Neri) and Domenico Loria (Centri Della Calzatura) worked together to establish a maximum lead of 9:28 after 50 kilometres of racing.

The peloton redoubled their efforts to catch the breakaway and as they entered the first of three finishing circuits, Chiarini was the last of the leaders to be caught.

Despite a series of attacks and counter attacks in the closing stages of the race, it came down to the sprint, with Pozzato the strongest in the finale.

"My victory is the result of a great team effort," said Pozzato afterwards. "At the finish Mazzanti, Karpets and Petrov worked perfectly for me. I sat on the wheel of last year's winner [Mikhaylo] Khalilov and in spite of a crash about 150 meters from the finish, I was able to build enough pace to win."

"I've been in good form recently and today I proved it on some challenging slopes."