Modolo doubles up

Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox) took his second consecutive victory at the Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda when he out-sprinted his teammate Gianluca Brambilla in Alzano Lombardo, while France’s Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) retained the overall lead with one stage to go.

The young Italian was dropped on the climb of the Colle Gallo but managed to claw his way back to the peloton on the descent. In a technical finale, it was Brambilla who led into the final bend, but he was overhauled by the in-form Modolo inside the final 100 metres.

“It was a difficult sprint with a dangerous bend before the finish,” Modolo said. “Brambilla was ahead and I came out on the right and passed him in the final metres.”

The Colnago-CSF duo were dominant in the finishing straight, with Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) and his teammate Pierpaolo De Negri distanced in third and fourth respectively. After the finish, Brambilla struggled to hide his own disappointment at missing out on his first win of the season.

“My teammate won and that’s OK, but all year I’ve been looking for a win, and this was the right opportunity. But I’m not giving up and I’m ready to try again,” Brambilla said afterwards.

Modolo’s victory was his eighth in the past two months, and the 24-year-old is hopeful that his sparkling run of summer form can land him a place in the Italian team for the world championships in Copenhagen.

“Don’t ask me what’s happening, not even I would know how to give you an answer,” Modolo said of his current spell. “If I’m picked for the Worlds, I’ll be ready to do whatever Bettini asks me to do, any kind of role would suit me.”

Overall, French talent Thibaut Pinot holds a 23 second lead over Simone Stortoni (Colnago-CSF Inox), with the veteran Davide Rebellin (Miche-Guerciotti) looming a further ten seconds back in third.

Full Results