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RACE REPORTS: CUNEGO LOVES LOMBARDIA: HAT TRICK FOR DAMIANO IN COMO
Road Bike Action
October 18, 2008
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With a brilliant late race attack, Lampre's Damiano Cunego took his second consecutive and third career win in the 102nd edition of the Giro di Lombardia, avenging his disappointment as runner-up to fellow Italian and Lampre teammate Alessandro Ballan at the World Championships two weeks ago. With his third win at Lombardia, the final classic of the season called "the race of the falling leaves", 27 year old Cunego joins great champions like Girardengo, Henri Pelissier, Belloni, Bartali and Sean Kelly, all of whom have won the fall classic three times.
Late in the afternoon of a beautiful fall Saturday, Cunego made an audacious attack over the top of the penultimate climb of Civiglio, bombed the descent and then maintained his lead on the final climb of San Fermo della Battaglis to win alone along Lago di Como. Astana's young Slovenian star Janez Brajkovic and Colombian talent Rigoberto Uran (Caisse d'Epargne) both chased all out behind the flying Italian but could never close down Cunego's lead, with the Astana rider leading the Caisse d'Epargne man home for second. After the race, Cunego told Italian TV "I'm happy with the win today because it is my really my course; a very demanding race. Today was a beautiful day and I gave it my all to win."
102nd Giro di Lombardia / 242km
Saturday, October 18, 2008
1. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre
2. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana @ 24"
3. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne @ same time
4. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step @ 35"
5. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Columbia
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