THE WONDERFULLY-NAMED Eros Capecchi secured his first victory since the 18th stage of last year’s Giro d’Italia on Sunday, holding off a strong field that included Ireland’s Nicolas Roche, Michele Scarponi and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans to take the GP Citta di Lugano.
The Italian balanced his tactics perfectly, attacking towards the summit of the final climb and using the resulting ten-second advantage as a buffer on the homeward descent.
As the 25-year-old powered towards the line, good fortune intervened to put the result beyond doubt. Michele Scarponi, then at the head of the chasing pack, suffered an untimely crash that, in addition to ending his challenge outright, interrupted the rhythm of those immediately behind.
Capecchi eventually crossed the line with a four-second advantage over nearly a dozen riders. Roche, in contention until the final bunched sprint, finished in 12th place, seven seconds adrift.
