Giacoppo grabs another Genesys win

West Australian Anthony Giacoppo was rewarded for outstanding team loyalty with an emphatic victory in the Independent Cranes Shipwreck Coast Classic.

Giacoppo, 25, a member of the all-conquering Genesys Wealth Advisers team, defeated Queenslander Peter Herzig in a punishing two-man sprint finish, with Ballarat’s Patrick Shaw a controversial third.

Giacoppo has been an important domestique this season for high-profile team-mates Nathan Haas, Steele Von Hoff, Shaw, and yesterday’s Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Joel Pearson.

His best performances were third overall in the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong in July and second placing in the final stage of the Herald Sun Tour earlier this month.

“It’s good to top off the year with a win like this,” Giacoppo said. “It’s been a great season for Genesys.

“Sometimes I felt I could have done better in the races where I was working for Nathan or Steele, but you’ve got to look at the big picture.”

Victorian Nicholas Mitchell was third over the line but chief commissaire Neville Williams elevated fourth placegetter Shaw into the minor placing after ruling that Mitchell caused interference over the last 50 metres.

The 117km Shipwreck Coast Classic started in Warrnambool and took in a route down the Great Ocean Road to Port Campbell before swinging back inland and finishing at Allansford.

It was the final event on Cycling Australia’s 2011 national road series, of which the individual title was won by Haas and the teams section by Genesys.

Results