Liquigas light it up in team test

Liquigas-Doimo's day of dominance continued at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali on Tuesday as they stormed to victory in the event's 15.6 kilometre team time trial.

The Italian squad's combined effort also saw Francesco Chicchi extend the overall race lead he'd opened in the morning's thrilling opener. De Rosa Stac-Plastic finished in second, with Lampre-Farnese Vini rounding out the stage podium.

As the first cab off the rank, Betonexpressz 200 Universal Caffé had been the first to halt the clock with a time of 19:42. The Continental squad were hardly expected to set the world on fire and as they were followed in, their time began its gradual shift down the leaderboard.

CDC Cavaliere was the first team to break the 19 minute barrier, with 18:37. However, their tenure at the top lasted only a matter of minutes as Adria Mobil bettered that mark by five seconds.

Adria Mobil's time held up until the second Professional Continental team to start, ISD-Neri, reduced the benchmark to 18:36. Moments later it appeared Ceramica Flaminia's Riccardo Riccò might be in with a chance of marking his comeback to racing with a leader's jersey, but their improvement lasted only until PSK Whirpool-Author had crossed the line.

De Rosa-Stac Plastic took the hot seat as they closed out their race with 18:00, but as Liquigas came through with 17:51 only Lampre could change the final order.

Unfortunately for the boys in blue and fuchsia it wasn't to be as they secured third place with their 18:06 effort.