Elia Viviani (Cannondale) won the sprint on stage 2(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Elia Viviani and his Cannondale teammates celebrated two stage victories and overall success at the Tour of Elk Grove with a quick tourist tour of Chicago on Monday, but will be looking for success in the USA this week when they line-up for the Tour of Utah that begins on Tuesday.
Viviani won stage two and stage three of the Tour of Elk Grove to secure overall success ahead of Ryan Anderson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) and John Murphy (UnitedHealthcare) by six and nine seconds.
"Everything went perfectly. My teammates were again amazing," Viviani said after his win in a press release from the Cannondale team.
"We controlled the race to avoid any surprises in the finale. I knew I could be competitive and we did not want to lose the chance to win both the stage and the classification."
Viviani rode the Giro d'Italia but failed to win a stage but bounced back with a win at the Criterium di Dauphine. He did not ride the Tour de France but spent much of July training at altitude at the Passo San Pellegrino in the Dolomites. He won two stages at the US Pro Challenge in 2011 and will again target the Colorado race after riding the Tour of Utah.
The Cannondale team for the US race also includes Guilluame Boivin, Stefano Agostini, Michael Koch, Matthias Krizek and Juraj Sagan.
"These results are the sign that I wanted to get, to know that I'm ready to face the upcoming important races," Viviani said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"For my part, these results are the signal I wanted to face next, important races. I expect to achieve the results that I searched in the first part of the season. I feel I have broken through and the support of the team make me confident. I'll look forward to do my best in all the next races.
"I want to get the results I missed out in the first part of the season. I feel as if I've broken through a barrier thanks to the support of the team. I'm looking forward to doing my best in the next few races."
