Cesare Benedetti holds on to lead despite a split in the peloton
Diego Ulissi (Lampre-ISD) won the third stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali between Fiorano Modenese and Levizzano in an uphill sprint to the line. The 22-year-old Tuscan finished several lengths clear of Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) and Danilo Di Luca (Acqua & Sapone) at the head of a multiple rider battle.
“Today I have to thank the whole team who believed in me and put me in the best position to achieve the maximum result,” said Ulissi afterwards. “I am happy that my condition is improving more and more signs that the work done has been valuable and beginning to bear fruit. The race today was very well managed by the Team in all, I was escorted into the ideal position by my companions and then I gave my best to win.”
With virtually the entire peloton finishing in the same time, despite the sometimes steep drag to the line, Cesare Benedetti (Team NetApp) held on to the lead with two stages to go.
The 151km stage, consisting of two circuits of a 49.2km route, followed by five 11km laps, was dominated by a breakaway from Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) and Dimitry Fofonov (Astana). The duo escaped after 29km, with Marco Frapporti (Team Idea) and Gabriele Bosisio (Utensilnord-Named) giving chase a few kilometres later; Bosisio was taken back by the peloton, but Frapporti managed to make it up to the two leaders after 44km.
The three riders’ lead peaked at 2’53” after 55km, but the pace set on the font of the peloton by race leader Cesare Benedetti’s Team NetApp saw the gap steadily close. As the breakaway trio scaled the unclassified climb to Puianello, in the mid part of the second long circuit, Frapporti lost contact with the other two once again.
As Sella and Fofonov entered the finishing circuit after 103km, their lead had been cut to just 1’20”, but as they crossed the finish line for the first time – with Sella taking the maximum mountain points – it had stretched a little to 1’25”. The second time across the line, which was not classified as a climb this time, the duo’s lead was down to 1’10”; a few kilometres later, Sella dropped his companion and continued alone.
As Sella crossed the line alone, to take the second and last mountain prize with two laps to go, he was just two seconds ahead of the peloton, which was led over by Kevin Seeldraeyers (Astana). Just three kilometres into the penultimate lap, the little climber was recaptured, with just 19km to go.
There was an attack from Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli), with Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) and Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana), as they approached the bell, but the peloton neutralised the attempted break before they had reached the line; briefly putting Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) in trouble.
There were several escape attempts in the final lap, including one from Tanel Kangert (Astana) and Luca Barla (Team Idea), but several teams were keen on the race ending in an uphill sprint, including Di Luca’s Acqua & Sapone.
On the drag to the line it was Ulissi that came out the strongest however, with the 2011 Giro d’Italia stage winner taking his team’s first victory of the season.