BALLARAT, Australia – Italy’s Filippo Pozzato put his world championship title credentials on display by winning the Herald Sun World Cycling Classic Ballarat on Sunday.

Pozzato, who rides for the Katusha team, took victory by out sprinting Poland’s Maciej Bodnar and Chilean Carlos Guinez in the 130km race in Australia.

Switzerland’s three-time world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara was fourth while Australia’s main contender, Simon Gerrans, was 15th.

Pozzato’s team dictated the race from the first lap with five men in an initial breakaway of 13 riders before the leading group expanded to 25 riders including Pozzato, Cancellara and Gerrans in the second half of the race.

The top four finishers broke from the leading group on the penultimate lap and took a 48 second lead into the final lap of the circuit.

Pozzato, an all-rounder who can climb and sprint, prevailed on the downhill finish.

“I was confident before this race because in the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) I was very strong,” Pozzato said.

“This race was important for all the team to stay together and to do a race together without radio systems and find the right positions for the team.”

Cancellara, who is also aiming for what would be a record-setting fourth title in the time trial, said he was still feeling the effects of jet lag after arriving in Geelong, the host of the championships, on Friday.

“That’s normal,” said Cancellara, the Olympic champion in the race against the clock.

“I need some more days but that’s okay.”

Gerrans was happy to have got some race miles in after his worlds preparations were disrupted when his team, Sky, pulled out of the Tour of Spain due to the death of a masseur.

“I went out there and did what I had to do, it was a good really incident free hit out,” Gerrans said.

“It didn’t feel fantastic out there but that was why I was there — to blow a few cobwebs.”

The men’s road race, whose prize is the rainbow jersey, is the highlight of the September 29 to October 3 event and will be held next Sunday.

However, Pozzato has more than just Gerrans or Cancellara to worry about in a race which, at 247km long, will be a much tougher test than Sunday’s race.

Belgian Philippe Gilbert and Britain’s Mark Cavendish will likely start as the big favorites for the rainbow jersey, which was won last year in Switzerland by Australian Cadel Evans.

Also in the running is Spaniard Oscar Freire, a former three-time champion, American Tyler Farrar, Australian Matthew Goss, Russian Alexandr Kolobnev, Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal and German Andre Greipel.

The championships begin with the elite women’s and under-23 time trial on Wednesday.

Article: AFP