Pozzato wins world championship warm-up

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Italy’s Filippo Pozzato confirmed he is one of the favourites for the elite men's world road race next Sunday by winning the Herald Sun World Cycling Classic Ballarat.

The race was only 130km long and Italy fielded by far the biggest and strongest team in the race, but for Pozzato victory was an important signal to their rivals and a moral booster for everyone in the Italian team.

Pozzato out sprinted Maciej Bodnar (Poland) and surprise third placing, Carlos Guinez (Chile) to win the race around Buninyong in a little over three hours. The Italian riders rode the 70km from their hotel to the start and then rode back again, to complete a long but very successful day in the saddle.

Pozzato rolled across the line unchallenged after the unlucky Bodnar was unable to complete his sprint after his chain came off close to the finish line. This could explain Pozzato’s failure to perform the customary arms-out salute upon victory – a sign of good sportsmanship from the Italian speedster.

The Italian team made its intentions clear early into the 120 kilometre race which was held on the same roads as this year’s Australian national championships. Five of them got into a break of thirteen riders on the first lap before another bunch of twelve snuck across and increased the strength of the group.

In the move were Pozzato, Cancellara and Australian hope Simon Gerrans. With two laps remaining Pozzato and Cancellara broke free of the lead bunch taking Bodnar and Guinez with them. As the bell echoed across the tops of the big crowd, the margin between the four and the chasing peloton was just 48 seconds. But it would be enough.

On the climb up Mt. Buninyong, Pozzato stretched his legs and looked to keen to descend to the finish alone. He was gathered up by his three cohorts however and together they entered the home straight still leading the peloton by 28 seconds. Pozzato proved too strong in sprint, with first Cancellara, then Guinez and finally Bodnar beaten for speed.

Pozzato paid respect to his former team coach, Franco Ballerini, who died in a rally accident in February. The Italians wore stickers on their jerseys for today’s race, ‘Franco, you will always be with us’. They will wear the same dedication when they compete in the world championships next Sunday.

Surprisingly it was only Pozzato second win of the 2010 season after a stage victory at the Giro d’Italia. However he is in excellent form after completing the Vuelta a Espana.

"I was confident before this race because in the Vuelta, I felt I was very strong," Pozzato said.

"This race was important for all the team to be together and to do a race together without radio systems and find the right positions for the team."

Riders will not use radios for the first time in years at the world championships.

Cancellara said he was still feeling the effects of jet lag after arriving in Geelong on Friday but was pleased to test his legs. He will ride and target success in both the men’s time trial and road race.

"That's normal," the Olympic and triple world time trial champion said. "I need some more days but that's okay."

The first Australian across the line was this year’s Scody Cup National Road Series Champion Patrick Shaw. Shaw, a local who manages a bottle-shop a few kilometres up the road, matched it with some of the world’s elite and is developing under the guidance of Henk Vogels and Patrick Jonker in the second squad of the Fly V Australia team.Simon Gerrans placed 15th on Sunday in his first race since Team Sky withdrew one week into the Vuelta due to the death of a masseur. He was satisfied with his ride.

"I went out there and did what I had to do, it was a good really incident free hit out," Gerrans said.

"It didn't feel fantastic out there but that was why I was there to blow a few cobwebs."

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