Daniel Moreno Wins the GranPiemonte 2011

Spaniard Daniel (Dani) Moreno Fernandez (Team Katusha) won the 97th Gran Piemonte. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) was second on the finish line and Luca Paolini (Team Katusha) came third.

"I am very happy to win this race because I believe the GranPiemonte is a very prestigious race," said Moreno. "The race has been a battle since the early kilometers and no one was spared ... one kilometer to the finish, my teammate Luca Paolini, told me to "go all out" and so I set up the sprint for a win. Saturday there will be Il Lombardia, a race that is very hard and long. I will be available to the team and we will see how the race goes. I might try to escape but at that distance and with those climbs it will be much more difficult to win. However, if the best riders arrive together at the foot of Villa Vergano, Joaquin Rodriguez and I'll give a show."

138 rides started in Piasco. At 15km 27 riders including the World Champion Mark Cavendish went clear. The average speed after one hour was 51.400 km/h. At 69 km the race is together again, Cavendish pulls out. The winning break forms at 85 km with 29 riders: Van de Walle, Bonnafond, Roche, Montaguti, Frank, Kohler, Morabito, Santaromita, Van Avermaet, Jerome, Pichot, Voeckler, Txurruka, De Negri, Giordani, Colli, Moreno Fernandez, Paolini, Rodriguez Olivier, Buts, Niemiec, Bennati, Zaugg, Nibali, Marangoni, Steensen, Boaro, Lövkvist, Rogers. The average speed after two hours is 46.150 km/h.

In the end 14 riders were contesting the victory: Roche, Frank, Santaromita, Van Avermaet, Voeckler, Moreno, Paolini, Rodriguez, Niemiec, Bennati, Zaugg, Nibali, Steensen and Lövkvist.

Time of the winner: 4h 45’ 16”, at an average speed of 42,700 km/h.

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