Appollonio nets first pro win in Limousin finale

Image 1 of 19

Young Italian rider Davide Appollonio (Cervelo TestTeam) took his first victory as a professional by winning the fourth and final stage of the Tour of Limousin in France.

Appollonio is known as a sprinter but surprised the peloton with a late attack, two kilometres from the finish, and the 21-year-old hung on for a narrow solo victory. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse d'Epargne) bested Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) in the field sprint for second place two seconds later at the end of the 181km stage from Ambazac to Limoges.

“When we started the last climb, with two kilometres to go, I still felt very strong although the stage had been really hard,” Appollonio said. “I didn’t want to wait for the sprint so I decided to attack and I made it through to the finish line.

"I cannot believe it, I knew I had good legs from the beginning of the race but to win a hard stage like this and to take my first pro victory is incredible. I have to say thanks to my team for the trust and the way they supported me.”

Gustav Larsson (Saxo Bank) finished with the main bunch and captured the overall victory in the four-day stage race. The Swedish rider took the lead after he won Thursday’s key time trial stage and his team helped to protect it through to the end today.

"It was a big victory for me," said Larsson. "Even though this stage race was short, it was really demanding, tough to control and the course was bumpy. Naturally, it was a team effort to win overall and my teammates did a great job in front of the bunch. I'm feeling ready for the Tour of Spain and looking forward to what we can achieve there."

The stage was characterised by a breakaway but they all came back as the peloton faced four laps of a finishing circuit. Another move went away but Cervelo TestTeam led the chase and then Appollonio made his move with two kilometres to go.

Full Results