Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) took his fifth victory of the 2013 season with a powerful uphill sprint to win the 61st edition of the GP Citta di Peccioli/Coppa Sabatini. The 24-year-old Italian, who had won the Milano-Torino race just eight days before, managed to hold off the challenge from Andrea Pasqualon (Bardiani-CSF), with Davide Villella (Cannondale) taking third place just behind them.
"It's not easy to win when everybody is watching you and is waiting for a great performance by you,” Ulissi explained. “Despite this, I could achieve my goal and I really want to thank my team mates for amazing help they gave.
“This season has been very positive until now for me and the good condition is allowing me to be still in the head of the races, fighting for the victory," he added.
The 198.6km race was made up of a 21.1km opening loop, followed by six laps of a 21.5km circuit, then four laps of a 12.2km circuit. A break of six riders escaped after 30km, with Edoardo Zardini and Angelo Pagani (Bardiani-CSF), Antonino Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela) and Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) and Luigi Miletta (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia).
Pagani, Parrinello and Janse van Rensburg left the other three behind, but Ulissi’s Lampre-Merida team steadily reeled them in, and they were caught with three of the short laps to go.
With 17km to go - with his Bardiani-CSF teammates now back in the peloton - Stefano Pirazzi attacked with Enrico Rossi (Meridiana-Kamen). More riders joined the new break, including Fabio Duarte (Colombia), but Lampre-Merida’s Michele Scarponi was refusing to allow any more meaningful escapes, and the remains of the peloton was all together as it arrived at the foot of the final uphill kilometre.
Result
1. Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
2. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
3. Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
4. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela
5. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
6. Andrea Zordan (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela
7. Pierpaolo Di Negri (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
8. Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
9. Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela
10. Davide Mucelli (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Fondriest