Ulissi triumphs at Milano-Torino

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Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) won Milan-Turin with a late attack that allowed him to win atop the Superga climb overlooking the Piemonte capital.

Ulissi finished second behind Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) in 2012 but timed his move perfectly to win this time.

The Italian was part of a big-name attack on the climb that included 2012 winner Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Rafal Majka (Saxo Tinkoff) and Daniel Moreno (Katusha). They came together in the final kilometre but Ulissi found some extra strength and attacked alone.

Majka finished three second behind, with Moreno third at five seconds. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was fifth and Contador sixth. It was Ulissi's fourth win of the season after also taking a stage at the Tour of Poland, and a stage and the overall classification at the Settimana Coppi & Bartali.

"This morning things didn’t go right. I was suffering after my crashes on Sunday. Fortunately I felt better as the race went on and realised I could do something when e started the Superga climb," he explained.

"My teammate Durasek was great at setting me up and then when Majka and Pozzovivo went, I knew I couldn't let them go. I jumped across to them pretty easily and realised that nobody else was with us. I took off with a kilometre to go, giving it everything. It worked out perfectly and it's great to win an important race like this."

How it happened

While it was the climb to the finish at Superga that decided the race, the racing started fast and furious, with Josef Cerny (CCC Polsat), Jay Robert Thomson (MTN Qhubeka), Bjorn Thurau (Europcar), Maurits Lammertink (Vacansoleil DCM) and Cesare Benedetti (Netapp Endura Racing) getting away after 29km.

Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Leopard) was one of three riders who did not start. New world champion Rui Costa (Movistar) did not ride but Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) were amongst the 157 starters.

Lammertink, Benedetti and Cerny soon eased up but Thomson and Thurau fought on, opening a lead of 7:40 after 105km of fast racing. Saxo-Tinkoff lead the chase for Majka and Contador, gradually bringing down the gap and then catching the breakaway at the foot of the first assault of the Superga climb.

Durasek, Majka and Pimenta (NetApp-Endura) got a gap but the race came back together on the fast descent before the climb to the finish. Franco Pellizotti (Androni Giocattoli) was the first to try his hand and was followed by Rafal Majka (Saxo Tinkoff) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale).

Spotting the danger of the move, Ulissi jumped across to them and then went clear alone inside the final kilometre, anticipating attacks from Contador, Dani Moreno (Katusha) and Valverde.