Rosa wins Milan-Turin

Diego Rosa continued Astana's run of form in the late-season series of Italian one-day races, with victory at Milan-Turin. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) came home in second after giving chase on the final climb while Rosa's teammate Fabio Aru took third place.

Astana took control of the bunch on the first of two late ascents of the Superga, setting a fast pace to bring back a number of speculative attacks, before shedding more off the back on the descent. The Kazakh team looked confident going into the final kilometres and, after nullifying yet more attacks, Rosa launched his move on the final climb with just over three kilometres to go.

There was some indecision in the bunch as to who would chase, and Wout Poels (Team Sky) finally made a move. After realising that this move was a dangerous one, Majka set off in chase. He caught Poels easily but Rosa was too far up the road already and he would have to settle for second. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) looked good for third heading into the final kilometre but was caught and passed by Aru, clearly delighted for the victory of his teammate and domestique. 

"Today was a really nice race for me. I'm from Torino and there were lots of people here for me. The team is really strong at the moment. This is a very beautiful victory and in Torino it is perfect," Rosa said after the stage. "Normally I work for the team but today was a good opportunity for me. Now I will look forward to Lombardia."

How it happened

The 156-rider peloton rolled out of San Giuliano Milanese just after midday as the series of Italian one-day races continued ahead of Il Lombardia this weekend. The race saw a number of riders returning to action after length layoffs, notably Richie Porte, who has been out of competition since the end of the Tour de France. Tre Valli Varesine winner Vincenzo Nibali wouldn't be riding, however.

Led by Movistar and Astana, the peloton kept them at close quarters and the gap never grew much more than that. The two teams looked eager to ensure the race came back together before the finish and set a blistering pace on the front. With 40 kilometres remaining the five out front had 3:26 but less than 10 kilometres later that had been cut down by two minutes. The catch seemed inevitable by then and despite a last-gasp surge from Malaguti it was gruppo compatto with 26km remaining.

With the break safely back in their ranks, Team Sky took the front of the peloton with world time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka using his turn of speed to shed a few riders. Following his teammates' lead Leopold Konig attacked on the final ascent of the Superga before the finish. In the form of Paolo Tiralongo, Astana claimed responsibility for chasing down the Czech rider and brought him back.

The bunch, still led by Astana, had been severely diminished by the time they reached the flat again with only around 30 riders remaining. The ceasefire ended when they hit the bottom of the Superga once again. Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale) ignited things, swiftly followed by Majka. The Polish rider didn't get too far before they were both brought back.

There were a number of speculative moves but it was Rosa that made the most effective with just under three kilometres to go. Having already dragged back another move, Majka went to the front to drag him back. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider had no initial reaction when Poels went with two kilometres remaining but managed to peg him back and set off in chase of Rosa.

Inside the barriers, Rosa could almost smell the finish line and victory. He put in one final dig to avoid getting caught and had plenty of time to celebrate as he crossed the line. 

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana Pro Team4:27:51
2Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo0:00:16
3Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team0:00:18
4Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr0:00:20
5Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky0:00:23
6Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini0:00:32
7Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La MondialeRow 6 - Cell 2
8Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar TeamRow 7 - Cell 2
9Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha0:00:36
10Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team0:00:39
11Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:42
12Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Astana Pro Team0:00:44
13Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo0:00:46
14Daniel Martin (Irl) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team0:00:51
15Julian David Arredondo Moreno (Col) Trek Factory Racing0:00:52
16Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team SkyRow 15 - Cell 2
17Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:56
18Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Movistar Team0:01:02
19George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNL-Jumbo0:01:09
20Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:01:11
21Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ.fr0:01:15
22Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 180:01:18
23Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha0:01:19
24Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale0:01:42
25Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 24 - Cell 2
26Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:01:46
27Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 26 - Cell 2
28Yury Trofimov (Rus) Team Katusha0:01:50
29Pierre-Roger Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:01:59
30Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Trek Factory Racing0:02:02
31Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 30 - Cell 2
32Gianfranco Zilioli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:02:16
33Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team0:02:24
34Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini0:02:31
35Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ.fr0:02:34
36Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 180:02:37
37Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling0:02:41
38Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team0:02:49
39Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky0:02:58
40Matteo Busato (Ita) Southeast Pro Cycling0:03:05
41Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 40 - Cell 2
42Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo0:03:25
43Leopold Konig (Cze) Team Sky0:03:38
44Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team0:03:55
45Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Southeast Pro Cycling0:04:04
46Marcel Wyss (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 45 - Cell 2
47Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 46 - Cell 2
48Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 47 - Cell 2
49Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) ColombiaRow 48 - Cell 2
50Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - QhubekaRow 49 - Cell 2
51Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Team Sky0:04:37
52Alberto Nardin (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:04:41
53Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling0:04:44
54Clement Chevrier (Fra) IAM Cycling0:04:48
55Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:04:52
56Thomas Degand (Bel) IAM Cycling0:04:54
57Jaco Venter (RSA) MTN - QhubekaRow 56 - Cell 2
58Koen Bouwman (Ned)0:05:22
59Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling0:05:27
60Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida0:05:29
61Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Team Katusha0:05:40
62Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team KatushaRow 61 - Cell 2
63Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team0:05:50
64Steve Morabito (Swi) FDJ.frRow 63 - Cell 2
65Simone Stortoni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:06:43
66David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk0:06:57
67Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka0:07:07
68Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing0:07:16
69Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini0:07:18
70Jorge Camilo Castiblanco Cubides (Col) Colombia0:08:03
71Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre-Merida0:08:09
72Ramirez Chacon Brayan Stiven (Col) ColombiaRow 71 - Cell 2
73Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team SkyRow 72 - Cell 2
74Carlos Mario Ramirez Botero (Col) ColombiaRow 73 - Cell 2
75Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - QhubekaRow 74 - Cell 2
76José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (Por) Bora-Argon 18Row 75 - Cell 2
77Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Team KatushaRow 76 - Cell 2
78Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.frRow 77 - Cell 2
79Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
80Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini0:08:40
81Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18Row 80 - Cell 2
82Michele Viola (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:09:46
83Alessio Taliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:09:48
84Songezo Jim (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka0:09:50
85Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:10:18
86Bruno Pires (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo0:10:39
87Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 86 - Cell 2
88Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 87 - Cell 2
89Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team0:11:07
90Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 89 - Cell 2
91Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 90 - Cell 2
92Patrick Schelling (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 91 - Cell 2
93Luca Wackermann (Ita) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 92 - Cell 2
94Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni GiocattoliRow 93 - Cell 2
95Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 94 - Cell 2
96Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Lampre-MeridaRow 95 - Cell 2
97Gang Xu (Chn) Lampre-Merida0:11:11
98Szymon Rekita (Pol) Trek Factory RacingRow 97 - Cell 2
99Antonio Nibali (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini0:11:35
100Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 99 - Cell 2
101Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka0:11:44
102Nicolas Lefrancois (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk0:16:16
DNFGuillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFTiziano Dall'antonia (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 103 - Cell 2
DNFValerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 104 - Cell 2
DNFDario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 105 - Cell 2
DNFSonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFEnrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFLuca Chirico (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFLukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFCristiano Salerno (Ita) Bora-Argon 18Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFVaron Castillo Felix Alejandro (Col) ColombiaRow 112 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) ColombiaRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFCayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) ColombiaRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFJuan Pablo Valencia (Col) ColombiaRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFAlexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.frRow 116 - Cell 2
DNFAnthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.frRow 117 - Cell 2
DNFArthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ.frRow 118 - Cell 2
DNFSacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-MeridaRow 119 - Cell 2
DNFMattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre-MeridaRow 120 - Cell 2
DNFValerio Conti (Ita) Lampre-MeridaRow 121 - Cell 2
DNFFilippo Ganna (Ita) Lampre-MeridaRow 122 - Cell 2
DNFEros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar TeamRow 123 - Cell 2
DNFJosé Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 124 - Cell 2
DNFFrancisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 125 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - QhubekaRow 126 - Cell 2
DNFKristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN - QhubekaRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFPier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Malaguti (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFGenki Yamamoto (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 130 - Cell 2
DNFSamuele Conti (Ita) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 131 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Fedi (Ita) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 132 - Cell 2
DNFManuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 133 - Cell 2
DNFSimone Ponzi (Ita) Southeast Pro CyclingRow 134 - Cell 2
DNFAlberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 135 - Cell 2
DNFJasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 136 - Cell 2
DNFAlan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 137 - Cell 2
DNFRyan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 138 - Cell 2
DNFJacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team KatushaRow 139 - Cell 2
DNFSergey Lagutin (Rus) Team KatushaRow 140 - Cell 2
DNFBertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 141 - Cell 2
DNFBram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 142 - Cell 2
DNFDennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 143 - Cell 2
DNFCorentin Cherhal (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 144 - Cell 2
DNFJoonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo NordiskRow 145 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo NordiskRow 146 - Cell 2
DNFIan Boswell (USA) Team SkyRow 147 - Cell 2
DNFRichie Porte (Aus) Team SkyRow 148 - Cell 2
DNFFelix Grossschartner (Aut) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 149 - Cell 2
DNFJesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 150 - Cell 2
DNFRobert Kiserlovski (Cro) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 151 - Cell 2
DNFFrank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory RacingRow 152 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory RacingRow 153 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory RacingRow 154 - Cell 2
DNFYaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory RacingRow 155 - Cell 2

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