Luis Felipe Laverde of Ceramica Panaria-Navigare took another big win this season while helping General Manager Roberto Reverberi find a new sponsor. The 28 year-old Colombian won from a small sprint in the 10th GP Nobili, adding to his previous win this year in stage six of the Giro d'Italia.
The 13th team win for 2007 will give Reverberi the boost he needs after the announcement that Ceramica Panaria would step aside in its role as a sponsor. It is expected that he will announce a new sponsor in the coming weeks that will join with Navigare.
Trailing behind Laverde was another Colombian, Félix Rafael Cárdenas (Barloworld). Austrian Christian Pfannberger (Elk Haus-Simplon) and Swede Niklas Axelsson (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia) finished in third and fourth. Moments later, the group was led by recent winner of the Giro del Lazio, Gabriele Bosisio (Tenax-Salmilano). Further back was a larger group containing riders such as Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas).
"I am content," said Di Luca to La Gazzetta dello Sport after the day's racing. "I am starting to see the fruits of my work that was done at home in the last week. I want to give [National Directeur Sportif Franco] Ballerini the signs that he has asked for."
Ballerini will select the nine men that will form the Squadra Azzurra for the World Championships on September 17. "It is a step ahead. ... But he has to keep rising," responded Ballerini.
