Prince for a Day

To many, the results of the 102nd Giro di Lombardia were a foregone conclusion.

Italian squad Lampre showed up with their two leading riders, Alessandro Ballan and Damiano Cunego, while the best that the remaining teams could field were a pair of Spaniards, Oscar Friere (Rabobank), a former three time World Champion, and Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel-Euskadi), the reigning Olympic Champion.

But because the latter pair rode for competing teams, neither would figure into the finale. The Lampre duo, on the other hand, followed their script to perfection. Ballan wore out the field by going up the road, while Cunego cleaned up the remnants.

The victory provided Il Piccolo Principe with his third Lombardia crown, which includes back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008 [his first coming in 2004].

Results
1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre
2 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne
4 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
5 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
6 Mauro Finetto (Ita) CSF Group Navigare
7 Chris Horner (USA) Astana
8 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
9 Morris Possoni (Ita) Team Columbia
10 Francesco Failli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo

Photo: Getty Images