Italian Champion Giovanni Visconti aims to win the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in Italy next month. Yesterday, he proved he is ready by winning the GP Regio Insubrica one-day race.
Content after his win, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "I pulled off a big one."
The one-day Italian race was his first in his new Italian Champion jersey. He had just returned from the Tour of Qatar and Tour of Oman. In Oman, he finished second in the time trial stage behind Robert Gesink and third in the overall classification.
Before the GP Insubrica, though, the 28-year-old team Farnese Vini rider dismissed his chances.
"I don't even know who will be there. For me it is a build up for Tirreno-Adriatico, my first goal," he said.
"I returned from Qatar and Oman with great legs, by my first days training at home in Sicily were hard for me because of the cold. I felt choked by all the clothes I had to put on just to train, I hope to free myself immediately."
Visconti freed himself, he finished ahead of Jure Kocjan (Team Type 1) and Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale). He punched the sky with his red gloves. They accented his tricolore jersey and red shorts. But the cream coloured knee warmers?
"They helped to keep my knees warm," he explained. "I know they are not beautiful to look at, but they work."
Visconti's win this year adds to his excellent season last year. Besides his second national title, he won two stages and the overall at the Tour of Turkey in April, and in June, won a stage of the Tour of Luxembourg and finished second overall at the Tour of Slovenia.
His success in the 167.6-kilometre race opened his account for 2011.
"When I saw the finish line banner, I felt a tingle. I am a lot better than I had hoped. The team helped me a lot, even if there were attacks going everywhere. When I saw [ISD team manger, Luca] Scinto after the race, I thanked him for the work the team did."
The GP Lugano race is 178 kilometres in length and runs today.
"If it is cold as they are saying it will be, I will stop Visconti," said Scinto. "I don't want that he becomes sick ahead of Tirreno-Adriatico. The sudden changes from warm to cold are dangerous."
The Tirreno-Adriatico starts on March 9 in Carrara and ends on March 15 in San Benedetto del Tronto.