It was the second podium of the day after Ruffoni’s third place at Tour of Turkey for the Bardiani – CSF when Stefano Pirazzi finished second in the 76th Giro dell’Appennino -  Memorial Alfredo Martini, where the team was clearly the strongest team in the field.

The first part of the Italian one-day race saw an early attempt of 9 riders with Simone Andreetta. The breakaway arrived all together at the bottom of the Passo Bocchetta (40km to go) where the race had its traditional key moment.

From the pack Edoardo Zardini and Cunego (Nippo – Fantini) attacked and passed all the escapees. They arrived at the top with 16 seconds to Fraile (Caja Rural) and 58 seconds to a group of 5 riders with Manuel Bongiorno and Stefano Pirazzi.

Cunego and Zardini gained almost one minute but due to lack of collaboration the chasing group caught them after Passo dei Giovi with less than 10km to go.

Bardiani – CSF was the largest squad in front with three riders and all of them, Bongiorno, Pirazzi and Zardini started to attack to avoid a reduced group sprint.

Pirazzi attacked with 1km to go and it seemed to be the right one but with 500 meters to go Omar Fraile (Caja – Rural) came back really fast and he passed Pirazzi just before the finish line, taking the victory. Pirazzi ended 2nd with Cunego 3rd. Bongiorno and Zardini were just behind, in 6th and 8th position.

”It’s a pity because today the victory seemed to be in our hands. On the Bocchetta climb I felt really good and I didn’t push strongly because we had Zardini in front," Pirazzi said Then when we joined him and Cunego with less than 10km to go, we started to attack one by one. I tried two times, the first didn’t work but the second inside the final km seemed to be good. Unfortunately with 500 meters to go Fraile arrived really fast from behind and he passed me close to the finish. I threw away a good opportunity but I’m pleased with my condition that is improving day by day."

”Today we proved to be the strongest team especiallyon the climbs but we didn’t take a victory that we probably deserved," manager Roberto Reverberi said. "Our climbers were really strong, they gave everything. Zardini made a great move on the Bocchetta but he was with Cunego who is faster than him and he didn’t collaborate in front. So this helped the chasers to return and with three riders, the only one strategy was to attack one by one. We tried several times but the right attack came from Fraile of Caja – Rural. Pirazzi tried to join him with the last energy, he got to withing a few meters from Fraile’s wheel but it was too late. However I can be satisfied with the way our climbers raced, this gives us a lot of confidence for the upcoming Giro d’Italia."