Former Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego outwitted the rest of the field to win the 171.8-km second stage of the Tour of Romandie and alleviate his Lampre team's concerns on Thursday.
The 2004 Giro champion surged in the last kilometre to outsprint 2009 world
champion Cadel Evans and former Vuelta winner Alexandre Vinokourov, a podium comprising probably the three strongest riders in the race this year.
Their collective effort in the last climb of the day, the first category Gibloux pass, was not enough to oust Russian Pavel Brutt from the overall lead.
Brutt, the winner of Wednesday's first stage, crossed the line 1:20 behind the leading group to retain his yellow jersey with a 38-second lead over Cunego.
"My goal here was a stage win and I owe it to the team, who did their part of the job to close the gaps today.
"In the finale, (Slovenian defending champion) Simon Spilak brought me back to the front and I delivered a fairly good sprint," said Cunego, who was unusually lacklustre in the Spring one-day classics after crashing in the Fleche Wallonne.
It was the 29-year-old rider from Verona's third victory this season after a Tour of Sardinia stage and the Tour of the Apennines. It was also his second stage win in the Tour of Romandie after a previous success in 2005.
His Lampre team have mostly made headlines for the wrong reasons this season after some of their riders and staff were investigated by Italian police as part of a widespread anti-doping operation.
Italian media also named Cunego as one of 32 people named in a report by a Mantova prosecutor in the case.
"I wouldn't say the turmoil did not affect me but I'm a professional and I did my best to remain focused and not let the problems around the team hamper my performances," he said.
The Italian announced early this season he would not take part in the Giro next month to concentrate on classics and the Tour de France. Lampre's leader on the Italian Tour will be Michele Scarponi.
"You have choices to make between being a classic specialist and a Tour rider and it's a choice I never really managed to make," he said.
Friday's third stage is a 167.5-km flat trek between Thierrens and Neuchatel
The 2004 Giro champion surged in the last kilometre to outsprint 2009 world
champion Cadel Evans and former Vuelta winner Alexandre Vinokourov, a podium comprising probably the three strongest riders in the race this year.
Their collective effort in the last climb of the day, the first category Gibloux pass, was not enough to oust Russian Pavel Brutt from the overall lead.
Brutt, the winner of Wednesday's first stage, crossed the line 1:20 behind the leading group to retain his yellow jersey with a 38-second lead over Cunego.
"My goal here was a stage win and I owe it to the team, who did their part of the job to close the gaps today.
"In the finale, (Slovenian defending champion) Simon Spilak brought me back to the front and I delivered a fairly good sprint," said Cunego, who was unusually lacklustre in the Spring one-day classics after crashing in the Fleche Wallonne.
It was the 29-year-old rider from Verona's third victory this season after a Tour of Sardinia stage and the Tour of the Apennines. It was also his second stage win in the Tour of Romandie after a previous success in 2005.
His Lampre team have mostly made headlines for the wrong reasons this season after some of their riders and staff were investigated by Italian police as part of a widespread anti-doping operation.
Italian media also named Cunego as one of 32 people named in a report by a Mantova prosecutor in the case.
"I wouldn't say the turmoil did not affect me but I'm a professional and I did my best to remain focused and not let the problems around the team hamper my performances," he said.
The Italian announced early this season he would not take part in the Giro next month to concentrate on classics and the Tour de France. Lampre's leader on the Italian Tour will be Michele Scarponi.
"You have choices to make between being a classic specialist and a Tour rider and it's a choice I never really managed to make," he said.
Friday's third stage is a 167.5-km flat trek between Thierrens and Neuchatel
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