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Viviani wins Italian season opener

  • By VeloNews.com
  • Published Feb. 4, 2012

February 4, 2012 (VN) — Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) scored his second win of the 2012 season, kicking to victory Saturday in the GP Costa degli Etruschi that opened the Italian racing calendar.

Viviani won the Italian season-opener last year and confirms that he’s a sprinter on the rise. Inclement weather along the Italian
Mediterranean coast made for a long afternoon, but Viviano held off another rising prospect, Sacha Modolo (Colnago), with Filippo Baggio crossing the line third.

“This is a sign of maturity for me,” Viviani said at the line. “I started with the pressure of defending champion and despite some tough weather and racing conditions, I was able to confirm. My experience from last year helped. I thought Petacchi was the man to beat and I was watching him. When Modolo went, I passed with 70m to go to win.”

Viviani, 23, will race next at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria (February 9-12) and the London test event on the track
(February 15-16). His first major goal on the road will be Paris-Nice in early March.

Viviani will be taking aim at Olympic gold later this summer in the omium.

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