Etixx - Quick-Step rider Gianluca Brambilla finished 8th in the 219km Italian National Road Championship on Saturday, in a race won solo by Vincenzo Nibali.

He finished 13" ahead of Francesca Reda in 2nd, and Diego Ulissi was 3rd. Brambilla crossed 1'57" down.

"This was a hard race with high temperatures," Brambilla said. "The guys brought me into good position at the bottom of the Superga climb with about 25 kilometers to go. The pace was high the first time we climbed it, so I took my tempo because I knew that I could come back after the climb.

"I managed to do it, but when I entered into the small peloton Nibali, Ulissi and Reda were already gone. I managed to stay in what was left in the peloton behind them. I think I could have tried to go for 4th out of the group, but probably not the win. Congratulations to Nibali who rode a great race."