Wanty-Group Gobert on fire as Pasqualon takes Coppa Sabattini

Wanty-Group Gobert is reaping a September harvest with Andrea Pasqualon the latest of its riders to snag a career-defining victory.

Andrea Pasqualon drives for the Coppa Sabatini win. Source: Getty

Pasqualon took the Coppa Sabatini in a contested sprint ahead of Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) at the end of the 195.9km race held in and around Peccioli in the Tuscan region of Italy.

The team worked 100 per cent perfect for me all day long," said Pasqualon. "They chased the breakaway and put me in a good position for the sprint.

"In the final uphill kilometre I was ideally placed in the wheel of Colbrelli. I launched my sprint with 250 meters to go and Colbrelli wasn't able to pass me anymore."

"I worked very hard and it was important to bring home today's victory after a lot of top-five sprints."

Francesco Gavazzi (Androni-Sidermec-Bottecchia) claimed the bunch finish in front of Diego Ulissi (UAE-Team Emirates) and Eduard Prades (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).

There is some history between Pasqualon and Colbrelli, with the latter beating the former in the 2016 edition of the race - this time the result was reversed but not without the intervention of the race commissaries.

Colbrelli protested the sprint, alleging Pasqualon had deviated from his line but after consideration officials let the result stand.

"I lost a lot of speed due to my opponent's change of direction," Colbrelli said. "After it was to late to try to overcome him.

“It's a shame. I'm demonstrating that I’m really in a good shape but I have to settle for just a second place at the moment."

Pasqualon's victory came a day after team-mate Guillaume Martin won the Giro della Toscana and Tour du Gévaudan Languedoc-Roussillon on 24 September. Kenny Dehaes also claimed the Gooikse Pijl that same weekend and Tom Devriendt won the Omloop van het Houtland Lichtervelde on 20 September.

The 2017 Coppa Sabatini was an all Italian affair. Source: Getty