Marc Hirschi continued his run of excellent form in the build-up to the World Championships in Zurich with another victory at the Memorial Pantani in Cesenatico, Italy.
The 26-year-old timed his sprint well to power his way to the front of the reduced peloton.
The 195km course beginning in Cesena was controlled from the beginning by the Emirati squad until Filippo Baroncini hit out with a strong attack which was only swept up inside the final kilometre as the riders faced a headwind sprint.
The victory marks the Swiss rider's fifth consecutive win in as many races as he now faces the Trofeo Matteotti and the Tour of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the total win tally for UAE climbs to 72.
Hirschi said, “It was a tough race which we controlled from the start. Then, we opened the race up early with an attack from Baroncini which was a good situation for us. We tried to block a bit behind but unfortunately, he came back in the final 500m and so I sprinted behind, following the right wheels and making the most of the headwind. It’s nice to continue this winning streak. I have luck on my side at the moment and I hope it can continue.”
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