Elia Viviani of Cannondale has won the Coppa Bernocchi.
A race on the UCI European Tour and one which first started in 1919, gave a first outing to 2014 Tour De France winner Vincenzo Nibali and saw Caleb Ewan (Australia), Juan Pablo Valencia (Colombia), Kenny De Ketele (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Jaroslaw Marycz (CCC Polsat) get away in a race which featured seven laps and the Piccolo Stelvio climb.
A lead of ten mnutes was going to be be allowed to last by Cannondale and Lampre, who had included Diego Ulissi after failing a test for salbutamol at the Giro d’Italia, as he was not banned by the UCI until after the race when he was refered to the Discilplinary Commission of Swiss Cycling and subsequently banned.
Caleb Ewan and Juan Pablo Valencia stayed away until they were caught with fifteen kilometres left.
On the road into Legnano, Nibali launched a couple of attacks but he was brought back and Peter Sagan set up his team mate Elia Viviani, who could be off to Team Sky, if certain rumours are to be believed, for the win in 4.27.06 ahead of Lampre's Fillippo Pozzato.
"It is pointless in hiding the fact that we were here to win," said Elia Viviani to his team's press office "and sometimes starting with the underdogs makes everything more complicated. I'm really happy to have won and to have rewarded the work of my teammates. All sacrificed themselves to build on this success and I thank them one by one.
"I knew I had the fitness to win this race After the Tour de France, I had rested in Colorado and found the right pedal stroke right and now I have my reward.
"My goal was to run a nice end to the season and win a national call for the worlds: I only regret not having succeeded in this. "
Source: DSG
