Francesco Gavazzi wins final stage as Mestre takes overall lead in Volta A Portugal 2011
Lampre-ISD team’s Francesco Gavazzi showed a magnificent performance in the tenth and final stage of Volta A Portugal Em Bicicleta 2011 on Monday, August 15. Ricardo Mestre takes overall leader’s yellow jersey.
The race started in Sintra and ended in Lisboa. The 27-year-old Italian professional road bicycle racer easily beat the two cyclists and took a total of 3 hours, 57 minutes and 12 seconds to cover the distance of 152.6 kilometres.
Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro of Barbot – Efapel was runner-up and Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira of Tavira-Prio finished third with same timing of the Italian.
With a few kilometres to go, the three cyclists increased their pace and took a breakaway lead including, Daniel Eduardo Moreira Silva (Onda – Boavista), David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Caja Rural), Higinio Fernandez (Caja Rural), Daniel Diaz (Velo-Club La Pomme
Marseille).
Higinio Fernandez and Daniel Diaz attacked to take a lead but failed and Cruz Melgarejo followed the leading cyclist but Moreira Silva increased his pace and managed to gain points in the first climb of the stage.
However, in the final kilometres Gavazzi, Vieira Ribeiro and Rodrigues Caldeira working well together for taking a stage victory but Francesco launched an attack and crossed the finish line ahead of the other cyclists.
The Spanish cyclists Delio Fernandez Cruz tried to catch the leading riders but failed to maintain his pace and took fourth spot with the difference of 3 seconds ahead of Sousa Cardoso.
Recently, Gavazzi took fifth stage of Tour of Basque Country. He also won the third stage of Basque country and grabbed first place in Coppa Ugo Agostoni 2010.
Tavira-Prio team’s Ricardo Mestre took overall standing with the timing of 42 hours, 34 minutes and 44 seconds. His team-mate Andre Fernando Santos Martins Cardoso was in second place with 1 minute and 31 seconds behind Mestre.
Rui Miguel Sousa Barbosa (Barbot – Efapel) finished third with the difference of 2 minutes and 24 seconds ahead of Nelson Victorino and Hernani Broco (LA – Antarte).
Caja Rural team’s Fabricio Ferrari retained his overall King of Mountain title with 57 points ahead of Martins Cardoso and Broco. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide also maintained his overall best rider standing ahead of Bruno Silva and Robbie Squire.
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