Young Italian scalps Cavendish, Bennati and Farrar to take second major win of the season
Manuel Bennetti (Colnago-CSF) won the Coppa Bernocchi, as the third race of the Trittico Lombardo finished in a bunch sprint in the town of Legnano. The 24-year-old from Cesenatico outsprinted a high quality field, with Danilo Hondo (Lampre-Farnese Vini) in second and five-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) in third.
The victory was Belletti’s second of the season after taking stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia in his home town.
“This is a great victory because I beat virtually all of the strongest sprinters in the world, except the absent [Alessandro] Petacchi,” said Belletti after his win. “[Federico] Canuti and [Alan] Marangoni were very good on the climbs; also [Marco] Frapporti was wonderful in the last 3km, giving a lead out of 55 kph which lined out the entire peloton.
“In the last kilometre [Tyler] Farrar and [Daniele] Bennati had one teammate apiece, then there was Cavendish, [Luca] Paolini, Hondo and myself: I went before 300 meters to go sign because otherwise I would have been boxed and then it would have been too risky. I am happy because I managed to hold off all of them, a sign that I did a great sprint.
“Dedications?” he asked, “I have three: one is to Ernesto Colnago, the second is to the whole team who always do great work, and the third is to a friend of mine: Marina Romoli, whom I really hope to see on her bike again soon.”
The 199km race began with a mostly flat 62km journey to the Olona valley and a 16.7km circuit, which was to be completed five times. On the first lap, which included the climb of the Morrazone (known locally as the “Piccolo Stelvio”) a group of around 30 riders, including Belletti, got clear.
HTC-Columbia and Garmin-Transitions were both determined that the race was to finish in a sprint though; on behalf of Cavendish and Farrar they chased down the group and the peloton entered the five 5.6km finishing circuits all together.
A crash on the final corner split the peloton, but it did not affect the sprinters; Belletti went from a 350m to go and managed to hold off the rest.
Result Coppa Bernocchi
1. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago-CSF
2. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini
3. Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Columbia
4. Daniele Colli (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce
5. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
6. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Transitions
7. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Carmiooro-NGC
8. Pierpaolo De Negri (Ita) ISD-Neri
9. Enrico Rossi (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce
10. Francisco Pacheco (Spa) Xacobeo-Galicia