Italian Champion Filippo Pozzato demonstrated in Strade Bianche yesterday in Siena, Italy, to be on the right road towards the Spring Classics, even if lacking the punch to remain with the winning group.
"I gave all I had," Pozzato (Katusha) told Tuttobiciweb, "because I like this race a lot."
Kazakh Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) won the race over Thomas Löfkvist (Sky) and Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia). Pozzato finished fourth after chasing down the leaders.
Joined by compatriot Francesco Ginanni (Androni), Pozzato mounted a heroic chase after Australian Rogers pulled a group of four (with Canadian Ryder Hesjedal) free at seven kilometres remaining. The duo, after four kilometres, caught the front four riders for the start of the last kilometre and a ramp of 16 percent into Siena's city centre.
"Unfortunately, I was left without teammates and in the crucial moment I had to do it all alone. I first tried to attack, then waited out the last bit and bridged to the four up front. I caught them, but Rogers [Löfkvist - ed.] lifted the pace on the steepest part of the finishing climb and I was gone. I paid, but I wanted to give it my all anyway."
His fourth place in Italy's version of a hard-man's classic, ahead of Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) and Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank), is a good sign for the upcoming 'Monuments': Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
"I had fun and I showed that I am already in the game," continued Pozzato. "Everything is going well for now, but I still need to gain some ground. My goal is to arrive in top condition for the Spring Classics and I confirmed to be on the right road. Ready, naturally, for Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, but my dream remains to win Tour of Flanders."
Last year, Pozzato won the Belgian E3 Prijs, a stage of the Driedaagse De Panne, the Italian Championships, the Giro del Veneto and the Memorial Cimurri.