Marco Frapporti wins opening stage and also celebrates overall win in 2011 Brixia Tour
Colnago-CSF Inox team’s Marco Frapporti won the first stage and also took an overall lead in 2011 Brixia Tour on Wednesday, July 20. The race started in Ponte di Legno and ended in Edolo.
The 26-year-old Italian cyclist took a total of 3 hours, 36 minutes and 46 seconds to cover the distance of 158 kilometres.
After winning the stage, Frapporti told the media, “It’s a great satisfaction that comes after such a long time, Winning on home roads has a sweeter taste, it makes you feel good.”
Fortunato Baliani of d'Angelo & Antenucci – Nippo was the runner-up with 1 second behind Marco. Fabio Felline of Geox-TMC was in the third place with a difference of 1 minute and 46 seconds.
Paolo Bailetti (De Rosa - Ceramica Flaminia), Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) and Cayetano Jose Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Acqua & Sapone) were in fourth, fifth and sixth spots, respectively.
Matti Breschel of Rabobank Cycling showed his good effort, but he failed to manage his pace and grabbed the seventh place with a difference of 2 minute and 3 seconds, ahead of Matteo Fedi (De Rosa - Ceramica Flaminia) and Christopher Jones (UnitedHealthcare
Pro Cycling).
In the final 110 kilometres, Baliani was very active and managed to increase his pace and got away with Frapporti. The trio worked together until the end of the stage and broke the peloton into several groups, while in the finishing circuit Marco gained
an advantage of few seconds and crossed the finish-line, ahead of the other cyclists.
He further added, “I had an exceptional breakaway companion, we shared the work equally, and at the finish I was the quicker.”
Previously, Marco took the fifth stage of tour of Britain in 2010 and won the second stage of Tour of the Province of Grosseto in 2009.
Frapporti also took the overall standing with a timing of 3 hours, 36 minutes and 34 seconds while Fortunato Baliani was the runner-up with a difference of 4 seconds.
Fabio Felline (Geox-TMC) was in third place with a difference of 1 minute and 54 seconds, ahead of Paolo Bailetti.
The first round of the next stage will start in Pisogne and ended in Brescia. All the cyclists will cover the distance of 135.5 kilometres. The second round of the stage will start in Brescia and all the cyclists will cover the distance of 10.4 kilometres.
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