Bonifazio fastest in GP Lugano

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Niccolò Bonifazio won his first race and Lampre-Merida's fifth of the season by out sprinting Francesco Gavazzi (Southeast) and Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r La Mondiale) at the GP Lugano. The 21-year-old Italian had five top-ten finishes prior to the UCI 1.1 race this season but with Przemyslaw Niemiec leading him out to perfection, Bonifazio proved to be the fastest after the 184.9km race.

"I'm very satisfied for this first seasonal victory, GP Lugano is a demanding race and so this result makes me happy," Bonifazio said. "The past season ended with many victories, so I could spend a calm winter and I trained with huge passion and with the aim of improving my skills.

The win was confirmation of Bonifazio's rising stock having claimed four wins his debut season as a professional, including three stages of the Tour of Hainan last October.

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"2015 began in Australia and from there my condition has become better and better and now the level of my competitiveness is good, that's why today I could avoid being dropped on the climbs," Bonifazio added. "I thank the team that supported me and I share this joy with my team mates."

The undulating race saw a 17-rider group build a steady gap over the peloton early into the day. Lampre-Merida had placed Luka Pibernik in the break and were happy to leave the pace making to the other teams who decided one keeping them within a safe time gap. As the race was reaching its conclusion with 10km left to race, the break was reeled in with 10 rider then launching a counter attack on the final climb.

Riders in the group included Linus Gerdemann (Cult Energy Pro Cycling) and IAM Cycling duo Jonathan Fumeaux and Sébastien Reichenbach while MTN-Qhubeka's Natnael Berhane trying to force a solo move off the front, emulating the aggressive approach of teammate Daniel Teklehaimanot who claimed all three GPM's on offer

With the pace high as the sprinters teams worked to pull the move back, Tinkoff-Saxo were active in finale with Ivan Basso and Sergio Paulinho both testing their legs but to no avail as with five kilometre to go, the race was all back together with Valerio Conti and Niemiec setting a fast pace with the aim of delivering Bonifazio to victory who duly repaid the work done by his teammates by easily out sprinting his rivals on the lake front of Lugano.

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