CADEL Evans secured victory in the ProTour competition today as Italian Damiano Cunego finished the season on a high by winning the Giro di Lombardia Classic.
Lampre rider Cunego, 26, beat compatriot Riccardo Ricco in a two-man sprint to earn his second Lombardia triumph in four years. Samuel Sanchez of Spain was third at 10 seconds.
Evans, of the Predictor team, was also 10 seconds adrift in sixth place.
Evans struggled in the closing stages after a fly went in his eye but managed to stay with the leaders.
The former mountain biker went first in the season-long ProTour two days before the Classic when previous leader Danilo Di Luca was suspended for working with a banned doctor.
"I think the ProTour shows who is the best rider of the season and I’m very proud to have won it," said Evans.
"My goal for the season was to do a good Tour de France and I was happy with second place but I’d also hoped to do well in the ProTour. I didn’t expect to win it but it’s a very nice end of season bonus."
Cunego said he was surprised and thrilled to have won today’s race.
"This win is for the people who said I couldn’t win any more," he said.
"I’ve always believed in myself and knew I could win big races again if things went my way."
The 242km race around Lake Como was decided 6km from the finish on the last climb when Cunego and Ricco attacked several times and opened a seven-second lead.
Cunego then accelerated past Ricco in the final metres.
The leading professional riders now take a break before starting the 2008 ProTour on January 22 at the Tour Down Under in Australia.
Reuters
Source: foxsports.com.au
