2010 Giro d'Italia winner, Ivan Basso, notched up his first win of the 2011 season today in Lugano. The Liquigas rider topped Colombia's 2008 U23 World Champion, Fabio Duarte, and yesterday's GP Insubrica winner, Giovanni Visconti. Visconti wasn't the only rider who put in two consecutive days of solid results though: Team Type 1's Jure Kocjan managed a 4th place in Lugano following his runner-up spot to the Italian champion on Saturday. For Basso, it's a stellar start to his 2011 campaign, for which he has set his sights entirely on July's Tour de France.
Duarte and Basso separated themselves from a select group of four as the crowning move of a long series of attacks.
The decisive moment of the day came in the race's final climb. Cofidis's talented Estonian climber, Rein Taaramae initiated the proceedings with a powerful attack. Italy's two-time Giro d'Italia winner followed the Cofidis rider immediately and with ease, while behind, it was Italy's National Champion, Visconti, who understood the critical nature of the move and leapt across as well. Geox-TMC super young rider, Fabio Duarte, was the last to jump across to make it four at the front - the winner would come from this quartet.
For Taaramae, it was a little too much too early though, and shortly after starting the move, he had to retreat back to the field, leaving only Basso, Visconti, and Duarte.
While Visconti got most of the attention from his win on Saturday, both Basso and Duarte had shown themselves at the head of the field in the waning moments of the GP Insubrica. Duarte led a late move that survived into the final half kilometer, while it was Basso who countered that move, but couldn't quite get free in the fast finish.
On Sunday, there would be no large group to ruin Basso's chances though. As the final climb continued, Visconti began to struggle. He did everything he could to hold on, but eventually succumbed to the pace being set by the former Tour de France podium finisher and the 2008 Espoir World Champion.
With the original move of four down to two, there was only the final descent to negotiate, which Basso managed with aplomb. In the finishing sprint, the not known for his sprinting prowess Basso, was able to just nose his front wheel ahead of his much younger rival to take a big win to start the season.
Unsurprisingly, Basso had only words for his recently passed mentor and coach, Aldo Sassi.
"This victory is for him," said Basso to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I know he wants another win…"
It's not too hard to guess, which race he's talking about.