Serri takes Miche's first

Eddy Serri took the first win of the season for Team Miche in the 81st Giro di Romagna. The 32 year-old Italian won the 201.8-kilometre race after the disqualification of Paride Grillo (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) for irregular sprinting. Marco Marcato (Team LPR) and Luca Paolini (Liquigas) finished second and third after the jury declassified the 25 year-old rider from Como.

"It was an instinctive gesture I made because I was at risk of crashing; it was without malice," explained Grillo to La Gazzetta dello Sport of the manoeuvre with 100 metres to the line. His left hand came off of his handlebars during the sprint.

"I was not at all aware of it," said the eventual winner, Serri, who was named after cycling legend Eddy Merckx.

The rider from Emilia Romagna took a home win that was dedicated to his girlfriend, Federica. It was the first win of the season for Italian Professional Continental Team Miche, and the third in eight seasons as a pro for Serri. His last win came in 2003.