Columbia-HTC\’s Marco Pinotti ended his year on a high note on Sunday when he powered home to a convincing victory in the GP Citta di Stresa time trial in Italy. Pinotti\’s win brings down the curtain on the 2009 season for Columbia-HTC, and it also brings the men\’s team\’s final tally of season wins to 86 – one more than in 2008.
Pinotti completed the 33.8 kilometre course one minute and five seconds ahead of Italy\’s Alessandro Raisoni. Ivan Basso finished third at 1-29. \”It was a good win, and knowing this was the 86th victory for Columbia-HTC this year really is the icing on the cake,\” Pinotti said afterwards.\”
\”The time trial course was simple. It went out and back alongside a lake, so I really gave it everything on the second half. That\’s where I made the difference. Taking a victory here on home soil in Italy as a way to round off the year is a nice feeling. It\’s a good way to start my winter holidays!\” Pinotti recognised that finishing well over a minute ahead of his closest rival was \”a big gap. But a lot of the guys did the Tour of Lombardy the day before, and maybe that affected them. I myself was worried after not performing so well there, but things went completely the other way for me today and I managed to win.\”
Pinotti\’s victory came in the last race for Columbia-HTC this year, a season in which the men\’s and women\’s squads have taken a combined total of 132 victories by 21 different riders.
