It was a close sprint between Gavazzi and Santambrogio.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
New Italian team director Paolo Bettini was at the race.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Gilberto Simoni was on hand at Coppa Agostoni(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Michael Albasini (HTC-Columbia) leads the breakaway.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Marco Cattaneo (De Rosa Stac Plastic) in the break(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni) was in the breakaway.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Giuseppe Muraglia (CDC-Cavaliere)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago CSF Inox) on the attack(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The Colnago team works hard in Coppa Agostoni(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The Garmin team, victorious the day before, heads to sign in(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Androni team got a visit from former teammate Gilberto Simoni(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A Ceramica Flaminia rider on the attack(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Liquigas on the attack.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Giovanni Visconti had no luck in Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The podium was packed.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Danny Pate (Garmin-Transitions)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Francesco Gavazzi gets the win over Santambrogio(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Paolo Bettini gives some advice to Italian champion Giovanni Visconti.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The Acqua e Sapone team(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mauro Santambrogio (BMC) took second.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), winner of the 2010 Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) on the podium.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Francesco Gavazzi managed a quick salute after winning Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Luca Paolini, Francesco Gavazzi and Mauro Santambrogio cross the line.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) wins the Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
It is Gavazzi's first win since the Basque Tour in April.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) holds off the charge from BMC's Mauro Santambrogio(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Santambrogio is coming on strong, but Gavazzi holds on.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Champagne!(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Luca Paolini (Acqua e Sapone) took third in Coppa Agostoni.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mauro Santambrogio (BMC), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) and Luca Paolini (Acqua e Sapone) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mauro Santambrogio, Francesco Gavazzi and Luca Paolini.(Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla)
Francesco Gavazzi celebrates his win in the Coppa Agostoni(Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla)
The podium at Coppa Agostoni(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) sprinted to victory to take the Coppa Agostoni in Lissone, Italy. The Italian outlasted his fellow countryman Mauro Santambrogio (BMC) in the finishing straight to take his third win of the season. Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone) rounded out the podium in third.
The race’s key moment came 42km from the finish on the final climb of the Colle Brianza, when Santambrogio’s attack brought a twenty-strong group clear of the field. Marco Pinotti (HTC-Columbia) and Andrea Tonti (Carmiooro-NGC) subsequently forced their way off the front in the finale but they struggled to stretch out an advantage over the chasers. Their bold bid for glory was ultimately snuffed out in the closing stages and it all came down to a sprint finish.
Coming into the finishing straight, Luca Paolini appeared poised for victory, but the Acqua & Sapone fastman found himself isolated and unable to make an impact. By contrast, Gavazzi was able to rely on a perfect lead-out from his teammate Simone Ponzi, and that was enough to edge out Santambrogio in the sprint.
Gavazzi comes from Morbegno in Lombardy and was thus delighted to take a win on roads so close to home, labelling it “a beautiful victory on a hard route.”
The Lampre rider explained that the Coppa Agostoni was a process of elimination from start to finish. “The race was tough from the start because the pace was so high and there were so many breakaway attempts,” Gavazzi said afterwards. “I was ready and alert when the first selection happened on the Ghisallo, and with my teammates Cunego, Pietropolli, Marzano and Ponzi we were able control the situation.”
Once he made it into the final selection, Gavazzi realised that he was capable of taking the win. “I understood that my condition was really excellent when I got into the decisive break of twenty riders on the Colle Brianza,” he said. The 26-year-old was also keen to praise his teammates. “Marzano was unbeatable for his generosity of effort and Ponzi made no mistakes in the lead-out for the sprint”.
In the finishing straight, Gavazzi was pushed all the way to take the win. “Santambrogio was a tough opponent,” said Gavazzi. “I had to stop myself from raising my arms to celebrate because otherwise Mauro would have overtaken me."
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Full Results
1
Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
4:42:15
2
Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
Row 1 - Cell 2
3
Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
Row 2 - Cell 2
4
Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Meridiana Kamen Team
Row 3 - Cell 2
5
Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
Vladislav Borisov (Rus) Amore & Vita - Conad
Row 5 - Cell 2
7
Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions
Row 6 - Cell 2
8
Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia
Row 7 - Cell 2
9
Enrico Zen (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox
Row 8 - Cell 2
10
Serafin Martinez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia
Row 9 - Cell 2
11
Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
Row 10 - Cell 2
12
Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
Row 11 - Cell 2
13
Jure Golcer (Slo) De Rosa - Stac Plastic
Row 12 - Cell 2
14
Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC - Columbia
Row 13 - Cell 2
15
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC - Columbia
Row 14 - Cell 2
16
Cristiano Salerno (Ita) De Rosa - Stac Plastic
Row 15 - Cell 2
17
Simone Ponzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
Row 16 - Cell 2
18
Andrea Tonti (Ita) Carmiooro NGC
Row 17 - Cell 2
19
Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
0:00:26
20
Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
0:00:45
21
Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
0:05:25
22
Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
Row 21 - Cell 2
23
Fortunato Baliani (Ita) Miche
Row 22 - Cell 2
24
Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Transitions
Row 23 - Cell 2
25
Tomaz Nose (Slo) Adria Mobil
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
Row 25 - Cell 2
27
Carlos José Ochoa (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
Row 26 - Cell 2
28
Giuseppe Muraglia (Ita) CDC - Cavaliere
Row 27 - Cell 2
29
Pasquale Muto (Ita) Miche
Row 28 - Cell 2
30
Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Footon-Servetto
Row 29 - Cell 2
31
Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
Row 30 - Cell 2
32
Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
Row 31 - Cell 2
33
Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox
Row 32 - Cell 2
34
Emanuele Sella (Ita) Carmiooro NGC
Row 33 - Cell 2
35
Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo
Row 34 - Cell 2
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Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
