Niccola Ruffoni (Bardiani) continued his breakthrough season by claiming his first big classics victory in the GP Beghelli. One year after his teammate Sonny Colbrelli had won the race, he made it two in a row for Bardiani by coming out of top in a 34-rider sprint. Filippo Pozzato (Wilier) finished second and Jens Keukeleire (Orica-BikeExchange) completed the podium.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Victorious Ruffoni: I want more than this

Another race, another amazing performance of Bardiani-CSF. For the second year in a row the #GreenTeam wins Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli thanks to the great sprint of Nicola Ruffoni who left behind Pozzato and Keukeleire. Sonny Colbrelli, 2015 winner, placed 4th.

 

“Most of the credit for today’s win belongs to my teammates,” said Ruffoni. “Our goal in the morning was to create the right conditions for a sprint and I was the appointed leader, but the finale was a really hard challenge for my legs. When the peloton split, we were 35 riders in the leading group. Orica started an incredible forcing to put the sprinters out of the game. MY Teammates supported me on the final steep climb, then took me in the leading positions. I had to sprint at least in third position and I would take the win. Simion and Colbrelli managed the final km in the best way. At 250m to go, Sonny was first and I was second. At 150 meters, I opened the gas and crossed the line.

 

“My season so far has been pretty good. The start was not so great, then I found the right continuity in my performances and at Tour of Austria I broke the ice. The second place at Coppa Bernocchi was a pity, but today’s win was a good way to forget it. I’m happy for what I did, but I want to go further. I know I can grow again. My goal is to improve the level of my performances in the most important races of the calendar. The #GreenTeam showed to believe in me and I want to pay back their trust”.

 

GP Beghelli is the third win in 2016 for Ruffoni and fourth in three years as professional. For Bardiani-CSF it is 12th seasonal success: they are only one win from the team record achieved in 2014. Looking at the final part of the season, the numbers of the #GreenTeam are awesome: three wins (Coppa Agostoni, Coppa Sabatini and GP Beghelli), three second places (Coppa Bernocchi, stage and final classification at Giro della Toscana), one third place (Coppa Bernocchi) and two fourth places (stage at Giro della Toscana and GP Beghelli).

 

“Doing a bold performance was our goal but the guys are doing something incredible,” explained team director Roberto Reverberi. “Our leaders are ending the season in the best way, but the strength of the team is making the difference. Today we have seven riders on a group of 35 in the finale and they worked just for one man. Since Coppa Bernocchi we challenged some of the strongest riders in the world and in every race we have to compete with WT teams and a really strong Italian National team. I have to praise the whole #GreenTeam and ask the riders to keep the focus high - only four races are left to finish the season and we don’t have to stop the golden moment we’re enjoying.”

 

Runner-up Pozzato: I can be an important rider in Qatar

"It would have been important to win," Filippo Pozzato told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I always miss something. Perhaps I did not believe enough in the sprint but I felt strong. Those who see how I am doing in the race knows at what level I am A few centimeters change the result but not the performance. I think I can be an important man for the national team, I know that the condition is good."

 

Keukeleire takes over from Cort and sprints to third in GP Beghelli

Vuelta a España stage winner Jens Keukeleire sprinted to third place today in the second one-day Italian race of the weekend, GP Bruno Beghelli.

 

After yesterday’s victory with Esteban Chaves, ORICA-BikeExchange were hungry for more success and displayed great teamwork, making a huge effort to split the peloton down to just 37 riders in the final part of the race.

 

The Australian outfit continued to work hard to set up their designated sprinterMagnus Cort, but after becoming caught out inside the final kilometre, it was up to Keukeleire to take on the sprint.

 

The Belgian rider did incredibly well to finish in third place despite the last minute change as Nicola Ruffini (Bardiani-CFS) claiming the victory.

 

Sport director Dave McPartland was very happy with the team’s commitment, making and executing a plan out on the road to finish on the podium and round up a successful weekend for the squad.

 

“Inside the last kilometre Cort got a caught back a little bit,” said McPartland. “With around 400metres to go Keukeleire realised he had to sprint for himself.”

 

“He’s done really well to finish in third place considering we had to quickly change the plan and also getting caught on the wheel of a rider who was going nowhere. It was a huge effort to end up on the podium, so great riding from him.

 

“The real impressive thing today was how we made the decision out on the road to split up the race and the guys showed real commitment and did it perfectly. 

 

“Their efforts made a huge different, reducing the large peloton of around 150riders down to just 37 and then still being well represented in the front. It was very impressive riding.”

 

Ill Cavendish abandons the GP Beghelli

The GP Beghelli started out with Dimension Data ready to ride in support of Mark Cavendish today. When a 7 rider breakaway went clear in the beginning stages of the race, the African Team was happy to shoulder some of the responsibility and sent Daniel Teklehaimanot to the head of the bunch to control the gap.

 

Unfortunately though, after around an hour of racing Cavendish had to abandon the race after not feeling well since waking up this morning. From there on the African Team had no choice to just sit in the peloton and conserve energy for the final where Kristian Sbaragli gave them a strong plan B. The gap to the break went up to around 4’30” after Teklehaimanot pulled off the front and BMC took charge.

 

As the race came onto the 10 finishing circuit laps, the break started to lose some members and this saw the peloton etch closer to front runners. With 30km to go, the race was string out as just 2 riders had 50″ on the chasing peloton. At this point they had Adrien Niyonshuti, Daniel Teklehaimanot and Jaco Venter working hard at the head of the race in order to bring back the break.

 

Orica-BikeExchange also joined the party and this saw the escape neutralized and a selection of 40 odd riders went went clear. Dimension Data had Sbaragli, Jaco Venter and Nic Dougall as part of the front group and the guys went all in to deliver Sbaragli to the line. The Italian fast man had to settle for 8th on the line.

 

Sports director Oliver Cookson said:

 

“The race really came down to the final 2 laps when Orica were pulling really hard. There was a front group of 40 that got clear and we had Kristian, Jaco Venter and Nic Dougall in the first split and Ryan Gibbons was in the 2nd group with riders like Viviani. The final time up the circuit climb, Jaco and Nic both did really big turns to make it hard which was in favour of Kristian. Into the final Orica pulled hard again and Kristian was there but as sprinting goes, he placed 8th which is not a bad result after we had to adapt our plans when Cav pulled out.”

 

Isolated Drucker misses out at GP Beghelli

BMC Racing Team continued their series of one-day races in Italy with today’s GP Bruno Beghelli which saw the race come down to a predicted bunch sprint and Jempy Drucker finishing just outside the top ten.

 

Drucker was in the mix as the race reached its pinnacle on the finishing straight but a crash with 30km to go saw him isolated at the front and despite fighting for a good position going into the sprint he crossed the line in 12th place. BMC Racing Team move on to their next Italian one-day race Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday.

 

Sports director Max Sciandri said:

 

“It was a fast race today and we knew that traditionally GP Bruno Beghelli comes down to a sprint so we came into the day with Jempy as our sprinter. As a team we really took on the race when Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) dropped out at around 120km to go. With the break 4 minutes in front we put a couple of guys up front to keep them within a manageable time limit.

 

“After that there was three big crashes and unfortunately the crash at 30km, which Floris Gerts was caught up in, saw the peloton split with around 30 riders in the front group. We only had Jempy in that group so we were a little bit cut off when ORICA-BikeExchange started to put down the hammer. This meant that Jempy was on his own and that isn't the best circumstance to be in going into a sprint but he definitely gave it his best shot.

 

“I feel like everyone rode pretty well today and it is a good sign for the rest of our races in Italy but we are looking for real results here and that means winning races. Unfortunately that didn’t happen today but we will keep working hard and racing competitively to hopefully make that happen.”

 

Bad day for Lampre-Merida at GP Beghelli

LAMPRE-MERIDA did not deliver a top performance in the GP Beghelli. The Blue-fuchsia-green riders did manage to join the first breakaway and in the penultimate lap of the final circuit they were set back by a crash which, even if it did not involve them directly, saw them miss out on the 36-rider front group.
 

"It's a pity that none of our riders were in the front group at the finish. We missed a very good opportunity to achieve an important result,” sports director Righi commented. “We were not in the main breakway, however the ten passages of the Zappolino climb were enough to try an attack.  Unfortunately, the crash messed up our plan. We succeeded in getting back to the front of the peloton, but on the downhill of the Zappolino we were not ready to react again and we were dropped.”

 

Bronchitis takes in-form Bennett out of GP Beghelli

It was a race for sprinters like Sam Bennett. Unfortunately, bronchitis stopped the Irishman today. He is in a good shape again after his crash during the Tour de France so hopefully he gets well soon. Therefore BORA –ARGON 18 had to start with just 7 riders.

 

BORA – ARGON 18 was caught on the back foot, tried to close the gap on the final circuit but wasn’t able to bring them back.

 

“It was another tough day for us. Because of illness our leader, Sam wasn’t able to start the race today. The crashes in the finale decided the race. We tried with the other teams in the group behind to catch the leaders but the guys in front of the race were too strong, so we could not fight for the victory,” said sports director André Schulze.