He accelerated on every slight elevation in the last 22 kilometers, his solo attempt didn't work out and he had to sprint to conquer the 62nd Trofeo Laigueglia: we're talking about Juan Ayuso, who leverages his status as favorite and his top team credentials by doubling his success after the Faun Drome Classic. With him on the podium Christian Scaroni and Michael Storer, with Neilson Powless just a few centimeters behind. The Italian calendar thus opens: next appointment on Saturday with Strade Bianche.

REPORT

The 171 riders from 25 teams start from the same Via Roma where they'll pass in different directions six more times, finish included. After the first skirmishes on the riviera, with Jonathan Lastra (Cofidis) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Energies) forced to abandon the race after a crash, it's in the Ponente hinterland that a nine-rider breakaway forms. At km 28, on the first climb at Arnasco: Victor Guernalec (Arkea B&B) Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché Wanty) Asbjorn Hellemose (Jayco AlUla) Matteo Badilatti (Q36.5) Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta) Odd Christian Eiking (Tietema Rockets) Alex Tolio (VF Bardiani Csf Faizanè) Johan Meens (Wagner Bazin) and Lorenzo Nespoli (MBH Bank Ballan CSB) the only Continental representative.

UAE sets the pace, Ineos thins out at the Paravenna peak to immediately reduce the group, Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech Vini Fantini) crashes downhill and retires, other riders slip but manage to continue and the breakaway reaches four minutes ahead. Their margin begins to decrease during the climb towards Testico, where Education First takes control both uphill and downhill and claws back ground. Entering the final four-lap circuit, eleven kilometers per lap, the gap is reduced to a minute and a half: in the first lap Guernalec, Hellemose, Meens and Nespoli lose contact; in the second Colleoni and Tolio drop at the beginning, in the end the survivors are Badilatti, Bais (named most combative of the day) and Eiking.

On the penultimate Colla Micheri, here comes the first attack by Juan Ayuso (UAE) who brings with him Michael Storer (Tudor), Neilson Powless (Education First) and Christian Scaroni (Astana). The peloton behind them struggles to reconnect, with "grenadier" Magnus Sheffield performing excellent descents, but ends up stretching and losing pieces. Up front Ayuso keeps trying, but on the last Capo Mele he must resign himself to the prospect of a four-rider sprint. No problem: he puts five bike lengths between himself and the other three who cross the line in a photofinish, while a bit further back comes Giovanni Carboni from Tietema Rockets.

Curiosity: last year at Laigueglia Ayuso and Scaroni were third and fourth, today first and second. Regarding Scaroni, who is experiencing a truly explosive start to the season in an XDS Astana that is collecting placements to pursue the difficult World Tour permanence, you recently heard him on BlaBlaBike and will hear him again very soon...

To read our live coverage CLICK HERE

STANDINGS

1 Ayuso Juan UAE Team Emirates-XRG 04:46:34

2 Scaroni Cristian XDS Astana Team + 00

3 Storer Michael Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 00

4 Powless Neilson EF Education-EasyPost + 00

5 Carboni Giovanni Unibet Tietema Rockets   + 03

6 Sheffield Magnus INEOS Grenadiers + 13

7 Bettiol Alberto XDS Astana Team + 23

8 Barré Louis Intermarché-Wanty + 23

9 Vercher Mattéo Team TotalEnergies + 23

10 Gualdi Simone Intermarché-Wanty + 23

11 De Pretto Davide Team Jayco-AlUla + 23

12 Costiou Ewen ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 23

13 Kwiatkowski Michal INEOS Grenadiers + 23

14 Pinarello Alessandro VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 25

15 Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 01:13

16 Thomas Benjamin Cofidis + 01:13

17 Prades Eduard Caja Rural-Seguros RGA + 01:13

18 Bou Joan Caja Rural-Seguros RGA + 01:13

19 Velasco Simone XDS Astana Team + 01:13

20 Laurance Axel INEOS Grenadiers + 01:13

21 Tizza Marco Wagner Bazin WB + 01:13

22 Honore Mikkel EF Education-EasyPost + 01:13

23 Zoccarato Samuele Team Polti VisitMalta + 01:13

24 Peñuela Francisco Caja Rural-Seguros RGA + 01:13

25 Morgado António UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 01:13

26 Ryan Archie EF Education-EasyPost + 01:13

27 Conci Nicola XDS Astana Team + 01:13

28 Jegat Jordan Team TotalEnergies + 01:13

29 Brambilla Gianluca Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 01:13

30 Paletti Luca VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 01:13

31 Meris Sergio Unibet Tietema Rockets + 01:13

32 Cretti Luca MBH Bank Ballan CSB + 01:13

33 Maire Adrien Unibet Tietema Rockets + 01:13

34 Cepeda Alexander EF Education-EasyPost + 01:13

35 Eiking Odd Christian Unibet Tietema Rockets + 01:48

36 Zeray Nahom JCL Team Ukyo + 01:57

37 Scalco Matteo VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 02:19

38 Ulissi Diego XDS Astana Team + 02:39

39 Cadena Edgar Petrolike + 02:55

40 Warbasse Lawrence Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 02:55

41 Tarozzi Manuele VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 02:55

42 Wilksch Hannes Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 02:55

43 Bais Davide Team Polti VisitMalta + 03:06

44 Badilatti Matteo Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 04:07

45 Bais Mattia Team Polti VisitMalta + 04:07

46 Tolio Alex VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 04:07

47 Agostinacchio Filippo Biesse-Carrera Premac + 04:07

48 Dati Tommaso Biesse-Carrera Premac + 04:07

49 Zana Filippo Team Jayco-AlUla + 04:07

50 Bortoluzzi Giovanni General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia + 04:07

51 Gruszczynski Filip Biesse-Carrera Premac + 05:36

52 Garibbo Nicolo JCL Team Ukyo + 05:38

53 Covili Luca VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè + 05:38

54 Petilli Simone Intermarché-Wanty + 05:38

55 Guzzo Federico SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank + 05:38

56 Martin Alex Team Polti VisitMalta + 05:59

57 Zamperini Edoardo ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 05:59

58 Galimberti Lorenzo Petrolike + 05:59

59 Ries Michel ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 05:59

60 Masciarelli Lorenzo MBH Bank Ballan CSB + 05:59

61 Weiss Fabian Tudor Pro Cycling Team + 05:59

62 Le Berre Mathis ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 05:59

63 Tsarenko Kyrylo Solution Tech-Vini Fantini + 05:59

64 Diaz Alex Caja Rural-Seguros RGA + 05:59

65 Delettre Alexandre Team TotalEnergies + 06:04

66 Hellemose Asbjørn Team Jayco-AlUla + 06:31

67 Calzoni Walter Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 06:31

68 Christen Fabio Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 06:31

69 De Tier Floris Wagner Bazin WB + 07:20

70 Moniquet Sylvain Cofidis + 07:20

71 Sbaragli Kristian Solution Tech-Vini Fantini + 07:20

72 Chesini Cesare MBH Bank Ballan CSB + 07:20

73 Callejas Alejandro Petrolike + 07:20

74 Colleoni Kevin Intermarché-Wanty + 07:20

75 Guernalec Victor ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 07:20

76 Vanhoucke Harm Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 07:20

77 Parravano Francesco MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente + 10:17

78 Cantoni Andrea MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente + 10:17

79 Granger Ben MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente + 10:17

80 Serrano Javier Team Polti VisitMalta + 10:17

81 De Cassan Davide Team Polti VisitMalta + 10:17

82 Biehl Kevin General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia + 10:17

83 Meens Johan Wagner Bazin WB + 10:17

84 Engelhardt Felix Team Jayco-AlUla + 10:17

85 Villa Giacomo Wagner Bazin WB + 10:17

86 Raccani Simone JCL Team Ukyo + 10:17

87 Bouwman Koen Team Jayco-AlUla + 10:17

88 Sevilla Diego Team Polti VisitMalta + 10:17

DNF Poulard Baptiste ARKEA-B&B HOTELS

DNF Verre Alessandro ARKEA-B&B HOTELS

DNF Arrighetti Nicoló Biesse-Carrera Premac

DNF Bessega Tommaso Biesse-Carrera Premac

DNF Bessega Gabriele Biesse-Carrera Premac

DNF Rossi Nicola Biesse-Carrera Premac

DNF González Abner Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

DNF Lopez Joseba Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

DNF Molenaar Alex Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

DNF Ferron Valentin Cofidis

DNF Izquierdo Clement Cofidis

DNF Lastra Jonathan Cofidis

DNF Maas Jan Cofidis

DNF Battistella Samuele EF Education-EasyPost

DNF Nerurkar Lukas EF Education-EasyPost

DNF Rafferty Darren EF Education-EasyPost

DNF Arefayne Aklilu General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia

DNF Cettolin Matteo General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia

DNF Cirlincione Domenico General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia

DNF Lock Dennis General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia

DNF Remelli Cristian General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia

DNF Fraile Omar INEOS Grenadiers

DNF Leonard Michael INEOS Grenadiers

DNF Puccio Salvatore INEOS Grenadiers

DNF Shmidt Artem INEOS Grenadiers

DNF Bonneu Kamiel Intermarché-Wanty

DNF Faure-Prost Alexy Intermarché-Wanty

DNF Rota Lorenzo Intermarché-Wanty

DNF Cabedo Hernandez Marc JCL Team Ukyo

DNF D'Amato Andrea JCL Team Ukyo

DNF Fancellu Alessandro JCL Team Ukyo

DNF Kobayashi Marino JCL Team Ukyo

DNF Nespoli Lorenzo MBH Bank Ballan CSB

DNF Novak Pavel MBH Bank Ballan CSB

DNF Vesco Leonardo MBH Bank Ballan CSB

DNF Carrò Simone MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente

DNF Kingston Matthew MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente

DNF Perez Ciro MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente

DNF Spreafico Matteo MG.K vis Costruzioni Ambiente

DNF Caicedo Jonathan Petrolike

DNF D'Aiuto Filippo Petrolike

DNF Peschi Lorenzo Petrolike

DNF Prieto De Luna Jose Antonio Petrolike

DNF Pidcock Joseph Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

DNF Abreha Negasi Haylu SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Baffi Stefano SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Dignani Filippo SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Fermanelli Marco SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Minoia Sebastiano SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Monister Angelo SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Pase Christian Danilo SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek

DNF Baseggio Matteo SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Bonaldo Antonio SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Bozzola Mirko SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Mion Samuele SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Scarso Andrea SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Zurlo Matteo SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank

DNF Baldaccini Davide Solution Tech-Vini Fantini

DNF Balmer Alexandre Solution Tech-Vini Fantini

DNF Conti Valerio Solution Tech-Vini Fantini

DNF Gonzalez Roberto Solution Tech-Vini Fantini

DNF Tissières Arnaud Solution Tech-Vini Fantini

DNF De Marchi Alessandro Team Jayco-AlUla

DNF Foldager Anders Team Jayco-AlUla

DNF Boulahoite Rayan Team TotalEnergies

DNF Burgaudeau Mathieu Team TotalEnergies

DNF Latour Pierre Team TotalEnergies

DNF Eriksson Jacob Tudor Pro Cycling Team

DNF Stiansen Jesper Tudor Pro Cycling Team

DNF Thalmann Roland Tudor Pro Cycling Team

DNF Arrieta Igor UAE Team Emirates-XRG

DNF Baroncini Filippo UAE Team Emirates-XRG

DNF Covi Alessandro UAE Team Emirates-XRG

DNF Pericas Adria UAE Team Emirates-XRG

DNF Sambinello Enea UAE Team Emirates-XRG

DNF Geleijn Owen Unibet Tietema Rockets

DNF Huyet Baptiste Unibet Tietema Rockets

DNF Toupalik Adam Unibet Tietema Rockets

DNF Baguelin Jocelyn Wagner Bazin WB

DNF Matthys Louka Wagner Bazin WB

DNF Persico Davide Wagner Bazin WB

DNF Marukhin Daniil XDS Astana Team

DNF Zanutta David XDS Astana Team