Cadel Evans secures first Giro del Trentino title

Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC) looks to have good form for the Giro d’Italia, as he secured victory in the Giro del Trentino Friday. Evans, third in last year’s Giro d’Italia, came fifth over the line on the Friday’s fearsome Monte Bondone summit to finish 50 seconds ahead of Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy/Ag2r) on GC.

Evans’ team laid the foundations for their captain’s win on day one, a 13.4-km team time trial. The American squad finished 15-seconds faster that Team Net-App Endura, putting Daniel Oss (Italy) in the first pink leader’s jersey.

On stage two, Evans came in fourth behind stage winner Edoardo Zardini (Italy/Bardiani-CSF) on the Cat. 1 San Giacomo di Brentonico climb to slip on Oss’s pink jersey. The next day, Evans withstood some spirited attacks from Pozzovivo on the Cat. 2 climb to Roncone and took the stage victory.

On Friday it was Mikel Landa’s (Spain/Astana) turn to prevail on a summit finish, as he caught and dispatched Louis Meintjes (South Africa/MTN-Qhubeka) in the final kilometre of the Bondone.

Evans, runner-up at this year’s Tour Down Under, will lock horns with Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha), Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar), Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Pozzovivo in the Giro d’Italia starting May 9 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.