A very good team spirit allowed LAMPRE-MERIDA to realize a positive performance in Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg (245,9 km).
Despite the fact that the team key rider, Sacha Modolo, was forced to quit the race at 60 km to go because his backache, that was caused by the crash he had got involved in during Eneco Tour, worsened again, the blue-fuchsia-green team managed to be constantly in the head of the race.
Bonifazio was in the main breakaway of the race, escaping from the bunch with Thurau and Matzka: the trio led the Vattenfall Cyclassics for 150 km, but at 28 km to go it had to surrender to the chase of the group.
Another blue-fuchsia-green cyclists, Manuele Mori, joined another important attempt of the race, when 5 riders attacked in the approach of the last passage on the hill of Wasenberg. Unfortunately, Mory was dropped because of a puncture.
So, LAMPRE-MERIDA had to redising its strategy: Bono, also thanks to the generous help by Xu Gang, organized the work of support for Cimolai (photo Bettini, archive) in view of the final bunch sprint.
Palini and Mori were the members of the led out train that brought Cimolai in the first part of the group and the Italian sprinter gave his best in realizing a recovery that gave him the final 7th place.
Victory for Kristoff on Nizzolo and Gerrans.
“The team spirit was stronger than the difficulty of facing the injury of Modolo, that’s why we succeeded in realizing a good performance and in obtaining an important 7th place - sport director Pedrazzini explained - In a World Tour race, getting in the top ten it’s always a very positive result, considering that it gives you points for the world raking; today Cimolai made this result even more valuable because he succeeded in crossing the finish line just behind top sprinters such as Cavendish, Farrar and Kittel“.
STAGE RESULTS
1- Kristoff 5h55’24″
2- Nizzolo s.t.
3- Gerrans s.t.
4- Farrar s.t.
5- Cavendish s.t.
6- Kittel s.t.
7- Cimolai s.t.
8- Lobato s.t.
9- Dillier s.t.
10- Kreder s.t.
13- Mori s.t., 24- Palini s.t., 25- Polanc s.t., 104- Xu Gang 5’02″, 115- Bonifazio 7’47″, Modolo dnf, Bono dnf
