Italian cyclist Sacha Modolo wins opening stage of Giro Di Padania 2011 - Cycling News
Colnago-CSF Inox team’s Sacha Modolo showed a good performance in the opening stage of Giro di Padania 2011 on Tuesday, September 6.
The race started in Paesana and ended in Laigueglia. In the final kilometres, Sacha powered to beat the other cyclists and the 24-year-old Italian racing cyclists took a total of 4 hours, 19 minutes and 55 seconds to cover the distance of 170 kilometres.
After winning the stage, Sacha said, “I’m very happy with this latest success, which crowned some exceptional team work, everything worked to perfection and I’m very satisfied to wear the first leader’s jersey of the Giro di Padania.”
In the last kilometres, Elia Viviani of Liquigas-Cannondale tried his best to take the lead but grabbed the runner-up spot. Sacha’s team-mate Manuel Belletti was in third place ahead of Alessandro Bertolini (Androni Giocattoli C.I.P.I) and Oscar Gatto (Farnese
Vini-Neri Sottoli).
The group of three cyclists showed a good effort and built the first lead including Pawel Bernas (Poland), Simone Campagnaro (D'Angelo & Antenucci-Nippo) and Federico Rocchetti (De Rosa - Ceramica Flaminia). The trio managed to take an advantage of a few
seconds over the other cyclists while Bernas gained maximum points in the first and final intermediate sprint.
When the race entered Colle Casotto, Simone Campagnaro (D'Angelo & Antenucci-Nippo) worked well with Silvan Dillier and Pawel Bernas. However, Campagnaro took the first and second climb of the stage.
In the final kilometre, Colnago-Csf Inox team controlled the situation and with the help of his team Modolo cross the final line ahead of the other cyclists.
Viviani told the media, “My team had to take full responsibility to close them down, unfortunately in the final kilometres I had to sacrifice Sabatini and Oss, the two men who would have led me out.”
Modolo took the overall leader’s yellow jersey while Viviani was overall in second spot at 4 seconds down to the Italian. Manuel Belletti finished third with a difference of 6 seconds ahead of Bertolini and Gatto.
The second stage will run in Loano and end in Vigevano as all the cyclists will cover the distance of 187 kilometres.
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