Kazakh rider: Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) could barely raise an arm in victory at the Montepaschi Strade Bianche, after a crash earlier in the day, and five hours of hard racing over the Tuscan dirt roads.
Thomas Löfkvist (Team Sky) attacked the remains of the front group of 11 men as they got to within 6km of Siena, knowing that a good placing in the final few corners were vital if he was going to repeat his win of last year.
Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) knew very well that his teammate from last year was doing the right thing, and immediately went with him, as did Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions), with Iglinskiy clawing himself up too.
Italian Champ Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) and Francesco Ginanni (Androni Giocattoli) came across the gap a minute later, but once in the narrow paved streets and corners of Siena, they both got dropped again, Hesjedal unable to keep with the front three as well.
There were lots of crashes in the dust, with Tyler Farrar and Matt Lloyd amongst the notables, both able to get back up at least. Team Sky neo-pro Pete Kennaugh wasn’t so lucky however, and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
Montepaschi Strade Bianche 2010 Result
1 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 4:59:48
2 Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:01
3 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC – Columbia
4 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha 0:00:18
5 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions 0:00:19
6 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:00:24
7 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:00:43
8 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team
9 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana 0:00:49
10 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
11 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:19
12 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:41
13 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
14 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
15 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
16 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
17 Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
18 Simon Clarke (Aus) ISD – Neri 0:03:04
19 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
20 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
21 Peter Velits (Svk) Team HTC – Columbia
22 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
23 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD – Neri
24 Thomas Frei (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:40
25 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
26 Rene Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:43
27 Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
28 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC – Columbia 0:04:08
29 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC – Columbia
30 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha 0:06:15
31 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) ISD – Neri
32 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Professional Cycling Team
33 Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
34 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team HTC – Columbia
35 Nikita Eskov (Rus) Team Katusha
36 Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
37 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Garmin – Transitions
38 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
39 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin – Transitions
40 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) ISD – Neri
41 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
42 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
43 Kristjan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Doimo
44 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
45 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
46 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
47 Allan Davis (Aus) Astana
48 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
49 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
50 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Androni Giocattoli
51 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
52 Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
53 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Garmin – Transitions
54 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
55 Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
56 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
57 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
58 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
59 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Katusha 0:06:48
60 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Cervélo TestTeam 0:08:12
61 Valeriy Dmitriyev (Kaz) Astana 0:10:17
62 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
63 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Team Katusha 0:13:30
64 Dmitro Kryvtsov (Ukr) ISD – Neri
65 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
