Boasson Hagen speeds to final stage victory

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Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) won the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico in a bunch sprint, besting Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) and Sacha Modolo (Colnago - CSF Inox) in San Benedetto del Tronto.

The 22-year-old Norwegian took advantage of a strong lead-out from his Sky teammates over the last four kilometres to earn his fourth victory of the season.

"I like bunch sprints but they're not actually my favourite thing in the sport," said Boasson Hagen. "I won because I had a great team that led me out perfectly. Without the team it would have been very difficult to win. I have to thank them."

Boasson Hagen's win places him amongst the favourites for Saturday's Milan-San Remo, but he's cautious about his chances in the Italian classic.

"Milan-San Remo is a very long race and anything can happen," he said. "I'll do my best. My form's not perfect, I'm a bit tired and I'm not at 100 percent but I'll give it a go. I could attack alone but if the team works well I could do the sprint, we'll see happens on the day.

"I rode last year and this year I trained on the route before Tirreno-Adriatico but I know that there are other riders with far more experience than me. I'll try and take advantage of my teammates' experience. I know they'll help me and I know I've got to be at the front for the climbs. I just hope to do well."

Boasson Hagen has studied his main rivals during the seven days of racing at Tirreno-Adriatico and has picked his own favourite.

"My favourite is [Tom] Boonen because I saw him riding really well on the climbs. Although it's difficult to say because a lot of riders can win it. Milan-San Remo is always a wide open race."

Every second counts

In a dramatic conclusion to the general classification contest, Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) used time bonuses on the final stage to erase his two second deficit to overnight leader Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli). Garzelli and Scarponi finished tied on time, but stage placings gave the overall victory to Garzelli for his first career Tirreno-Adriatico victory and his first win in two years.

Australia's Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) rounded out the GC podium in third place, 12 seconds behind Garzelli.

"It was a hard week because it was a hard race this year," said Garzelli. "I suffered in the cold weather. To win like that on the last day makes it hard to believe but very special. It's never happened to me to win like that before, it makes it more special and more enjoyable.

"I have to thank the team and especially Luca Paolini. He a magician at leading out in the intermediate sprints. He went early and I was on his wheel. I knew I was faster than Scarponi but there was the incognito of the other riders who could have got in the way.

"I was relaxed this morning before the start because I didn't have anything to lose. I went for it in the intermediate sprint, got them and then stayed focused for the finish."

Garzelli's Tirreno-Adriatico victory was his first win since 2008 and his first stage race win since the 2004 Vuelta a Aragon. The 36-year-old Italian was winless in 2009, but the he did claim the mountains classification at the Giro d'Italia.

Garzelli's win reversed the top two podium placings of the 2009 Tirreno-Adriatico, where Scarponi beat Garzelli by 25 seconds on general classification.

"I often ask myself why I'm still racing after so many seasons as a professional," said Garzelli. "I've got a family and so this win is for my wife and for our third son Matteo. Having children has actually given me motivation and makes racing a personal challenge.

"I was one of the five oldest riders here but I like seeing what I can do against all these young riders in the race. I haven't got long left but I want to do well and I'll keep racing as long as I'm motivated and healthy."

Down to the wire

The 164km finale to Tirreno-Adriatico was tailor made for the sprinters, with a flat 10km finishing circuit in the Adriatic waterfront city of Benedetto del Tronto to be completed seven times. That didn't stop Blel Kadri (Ag2R La Mondiale), however, from giving it a go off the front. The Frenchman spent 100km in a solo break, but was swept up by the peloton on the first of the finishing circuits.

The teams of the sprinters took control of the peloton in preparation for the anticipated bunch finish, while the feverish battle for overall honours between Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli) and Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) heated up on the finishing circuits.

The general classification contest went down to the wire as only two seconds separated race leader Scarponi and second-placed Garzelli at the start of the stage.

The final stage provided three opportunities to win time bonuses: two intermediate sprints on the finishing circuits, coming at 40km to go and 20km to go, plus the finish of the stage. The intermediate sprints awarded 3, 2, and 1 second bonuses respectively for the top three while the finish offered 10, 6, and 4 second bonuses.

At the first intermediate sprint, Scarponi's teammate Francesco Ginanni won ahead of Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) and Garzelli. The one second bonus earned by Garzelli reduced his general classification deficit to Scarponi to a single second.

At the second intermediate sprint with 20km to go the Acqua & Sapone and Androni Giocattoli teams went head-to-head in the dash to the line knowing that the race leadership was at stake. Scarponi's teammates Ginanni and Jackson Rodriguez took the top two spots but once again Garzelli finished third, erasing his one second general classification deficit to Scarponi and moving him into a tie on overall time.

Based on stage placings, Garzelli became the virtual leader on the road. As Saxo Bank and then Sky ramped up the pace for their sprinters, Scarponi had no chance to reclaim the race lead by either breaking away or earning time bonuses at the finish.

Several crashes marred the final 10km circuit, with Mark Cavendish (Team HTC - Columbia) going down with 8km to go while Assan Bazayev (Astana) and Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Caisse d'Epargne) crashed with 2km remaining.

Edvald Boasson Hagen stayed out of trouble at the front and finished off a textbook lead-out from his Sky teammates to claim victory while Garzelli finished comfortably in the field to win overall.