Alessandro Fancellu has won the 60th edition of the Milano-Rapallo. The Team UKYO rider, guided in the team car by Manuele Boaro, claimed the Italian 1.2 classic by sprinting ahead of Martin Santiago Herreño (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan), Diego Bracalente (MBH Bank Ballan CSB), and Jorge Gutierrez (Equipo Kern Pharma) - the only riders able to return under him after his attack on the final climb of the day.

THE RACE. As was easily predictable, the last 60 kilometers proved decisive for the outcome of the race. Davide Baldaccini, Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini), Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan), Edgar Cadena and Cesar Macias (Petrolike), Jan Munzer (Team Storck – Metropol Cycling), Steven Willemsen (Universe Cycling Team), Aurelien Kayser (Vélo Club Villefranche Beaujolais), Kevin Biehl and Thomas Gamba (General Store - Essegibi - F.lli Curia), Lorenzo Ginestra (Swatt Club), Tommaso Colombo (Solme-Olmo), Emanuele Ansaloni (Team Bike Sicilia – Multicar Amarù) approached with a one-minute advantage over the group.

Along the gentle ascent of the Passo della Scoffera, Gamba, Munzer, and Macias lost contact, leaving ten riders leading the race. Meanwhile, behind them, the group led by Polti-VisitMalta and MBH Bank Ballan CSB riders accelerated, reducing the gap until nullifying it on the first slopes of the climb towards Calcinara. Attacks followed: first Diego Bracalente (MBH Bank Ballan CSB) and Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini) tried, who were quickly reabsorbed, and then Filippo Turconi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan), Lorenzo Quartucci (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini), and Nahom Zeray (Team UKYO), on whom Giacomo Garavaglia (Swatt Club) returned in the descent after the mountain prize, shortly followed by the entire chasing group.

About thirty athletes attacked the final climb 12 kilometers from the finish, where Solution Tech-Vini Fantini worked to stretch the group. However, Alessandro Fancellu (Team UKYO) took advantage, breaking away and remaining solo until Diego Bracalente (MBH Bank Ballan CSB), Martin Santiago Herreño (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan), and Jorge Gutierrez (Equipo Kern Pharma) found the strength and pace to catch up with him. The four approached the final descent to the finish line with a ten-second gap over the chasers, where Lorenzo Quartucci (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini) and the defending champion George Wood (Zappi Racing Team) desperately attempted to rejoin. Their attempt failed, and they could only watch Fancellu's sprint from a few meters away, which gave the Lombard rider his third victory of the year (all in .2 races) and his team's eighth seasonal joy.

FINISH ORDER

1. Alessandro Fancellu (ITA/Team UKYO)

2. Martin Santiago Herreño (COL/VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan)

3. Diego Bracalente (ITA/MBH Bank Ballan CSB)

4. Jorge Gutierrez (SPA/Equipo Kern Pharma)

5. Lorenzo Quartucci (ITA/Solution Tech-Vini Fantini)

6. George Wood (GBR/Zappi Racing Team)

Updated.