Sacha Modolo confirms sprinting talent after taking Coppa Agostoni 2011 - Cycling News
Colnago-CSF Inox team’s Sacha Modolo showed an excellent performance in the mass sprint of the race and won the Coppa Agostoni in Lissone on Wednesday, August 17.
The 24-year-old Italian racing cyclists took the total of 5 hours, 1 minute and 15 seconds to cover the distance of the race. Colnago-CSF Inox controlled the situation in the final kilometres and the Italian powered to beat Simone Ponzi of Liquigas-Cannondale.
After winning the stage, Sacha told the media, "Breaking never crossed my mind, when you are going well, you can risk more than you would have thought and I risked a lot to win a big race. Let's say it was the one I suffered the most for, Because of the
heat and the tough parcours."
Recently, Sacha took the first stage of Brixia Tour and the second stage of Tour of Denmark. He also secured the fifth stage Tour of Qinghai Lake.
Oscar Gatto of Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli was in third place with the same timing of Italian ahead of Luca Paolini (Katusha) and Simon Clarke (Pro team Astana).
Daniele Ratto (Geox-TMC), Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (d'Angelo & Antenucci – Nippo) and Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre – ISD) was in seventh, eighth and ninth place respectively.
With 57 kilometres to go, the peloton was divided into three groups while the first group of 40 breakaway cyclists managed to open a gap of 4 minutes and 35 seconds over the next 30 kilometres.
When the race entered the final circuit all of them managed to extend the gap over ten minutes but after 70 kilometres to go, the 35 leaders abandoned the race.
In the final 25 kilometres, the group of 36 cyclists including, Ivan Basso, Simone Ponzi, Daniele Pietropolli, Diego Ulissi, Michel Kreder, Davide Rebellin, Rubiano Chavez, Androni Giocattoli's Sella and Daniel Oss attacked and managed to gain a lead of
half a minute.
All of them showed a great effort but with Visconti and Liquigas taking a lead with Lampre and with 4.5 kilometres to go, the two cyclists were caught by the other.
Bettini was happy with the performance of young rider and said, "It is a nice win and I think currently he is the strongest Italian for the sprints, I was happy to see him and other young riders amongst the first in a race that is not easy at all."
Emanuele Sella was the first cyclists who launched an attack and took an advantage of six seconds but failed to take a lead in the final kilometres as Modolo increased his pace and managed to cross the finish line first.
Davide Torosantucci (d'Angelo & Antenucci – Nippo) tried his best to catch the leading cyclists but failed to maintain his pace and grabbed 26th place with the difference of 11 seconds ahead of Mazzanti.
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