Ballan wins Giro della Toscana
BMC Italian too fast for breakaway companions
Alessandro Ballan (BMC) received a boost to his morale six days prior to the Giro d'Italia with a win at the Giro della Toscana. The 32-year-old Italian hadn't won a road race since the 2009 Tour of Poland, but the drought ended today with his victory from a breakaway. Carlos Betancur (Acqua & Sapone) finished second with Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas-Cannondale) in third for the 199km race.
"I was feeling good and we had a very strong team here today," Ballan said. "When we went over the major climb of the day [with 55km to go], I think we had seven guys in the lead group of 40."
Early in the race Ballan's teammates Adam Blythe and Taylor Phinney combined to help bring back a two-man breakaway that at one point enjoyed a 12-minute lead. After the peloton was whittled down to fewer than four dozen riders over the major climb, Ballan and teammates Mathias Frank, Tim Roe and Ivan Santaromita were part of a group of 12 that gained more than a minute's lead heading toward the first of two laps of the finishing circuits.
"I thought the race was going to go there but Farnese-Vini, even though they had a guy in the group, pulled it back," said Max Sciandri, BMC assistant director Max Sciandri. "Our team did an incredible job today. The plan was to race for Mauro Santambrogio (runner-up here a year ago), keeping Mathias in mind and having Ballan and Marco Pinotti as wild cards. But with 20 kilometers to go, Ballan came to me and said he was feeling good today."
1 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 5:09:51 |
2 | Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Acqua & Sapone | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Matej Mugerli (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:00:04 |
6 | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Team Idea | 0:00:09 |
7 | Sergey Klimov (Rus) RusVelo | 0:00:18 |
8 | Marko Kump (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Stefano Agostini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Nikita Eskov (Rus) RusVelo | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Yoeri Havik (Ned) Netherlands | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Frederico Rocchetti (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Ruslan Karimov (Uzb) Team Idea | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Maurizio Biondo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Mariano Giallorenzo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Fabio Taborre (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Davide Mucelli (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Patxi Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Utensilnord Named | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Acqua & Sapone | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Team Idea | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Matej Gnezda (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) RusVelo | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Javier Gonzalez Barrera (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Tomaz Nose (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Adria Mobil | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria Mobil | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | 0:00:35 |
46 | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Jaroslaw Dabrowski (Pol) Amore & Vita | 0:01:00 |
48 | Derk Abel Beckeringh (Ned) Netherlands | 0:01:32 |
49 | Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:37 |
50 | Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Simon Pavlin (Slo) Adria Mobil | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Krisztian Lovassy (Hun) Hungary | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Michael Rodriguez Galindo (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Netherlands | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Mike Terpstra (Ned) Netherlands | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Yovcho Yovchev (Bul) Amore & Vita | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Marino Palandri (Ita) Amore & Vita | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Mats Boeve (Ned) Netherlands | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Andrea Palini (Ita) Team Idea | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | 0:05:24 |
67 | Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Giuseppe De Maria (Ita) Team Idea | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Blaz Bonca (Slo) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Maksym Averin (Ukr) Amore & Vita | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Viesturs Luksevics (Lat) Amore & Vita | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Patrik Moren (Swe) Amore & Vita | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Niv Libner (Isr) Amore & Vita | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Uri Martins (Mex) Amore & Vita | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Bendeguz Bernard (Hun) Hungary | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Peter Simon (Hun) Hungary | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Istvan Cziraki (Hun) Hungary | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Istvan Molnar (Hun) Hungary | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Maté Radonics (Hun) Hungary | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Marton Solymosi (Hun) Hungary | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Zoltan Vigh (Hun) Hungary | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Enrico Rossi (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Roberto Cesaro (Ita) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
DNF | David John McLean (GBr) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Luka Grubic (Cro) Meridiana Kamen Team | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Wouter Wippert (Ned) Netherlands | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kay Welten (Ned) Netherlands | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Gijs Strating (Ned) Netherlands | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Simone Boifava (Ita) Team Idea | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Luca Dodi (Ita) Team Idea | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Aristide Ratti (Ita) Team Idea | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Simone Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini - Selle Italia | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Omar Lombardi (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Tomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Miguel Ubeto Aponte (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Salvatore Mancuso (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Matvey Zubov (Rus) RusVelo | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Dalivier Ospina Navarro (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Franck Osorio (Col) Colombia - Coldeportes | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Oleg Berdos (Mda) Utensilnord Named | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sergio Lagana (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Fabio Piscopiello (Ita) Utensilnord Named | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
2025 Tour de France to be ‘number one target’ for new Jayco-AlUla recruit Ben O’Connor
Team boss Matt White says team will also take a sprinter to the Tour and aim for Giro GC -
European Cyclocross Championships: Italy take victory in mixed team relay
Filippo Agostinacchio leads team to the win on final leg ahead of France and Spain -
Saitama Criterium - Biniam Girmay sails over line first as Japan gets its taste of the Tour de France
Mark Cavendish, Primož Roglič and Jasper Philipsen among riders lining up for the off-season crowd pleaser -
‘I wanted a Spanish team’ - Pablo Castrillo ready to put transfer saga behind him and push on with Movistar in 2025
Winner of two stages at the 2024 Vuelta a España is pleased that 'long negotiation' after long transfer battle