Spanish cyclist Moreno wins Giro del Piemonte

Spaniard Daniel Moreno warmed up for the final classic of the season, the Tour of Lombardy, by winning the 97th edition of the Giro del Piemonte semi-classic Thursday. Moreno, a 30-year-old who rides for Russian team Katusha, flew off the front of a 14-man group to finish ahead of last year's champion Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium (BMC) after 199 km of racing from Piasco to Novi Ligure. Belgian Philippe Gilbert, the outstanding classics rider this season who will be aiming for a third consecutive win in the 'race of the falling leaves' in Lombardy on Saturday, stayed in the bunch when a 31-man group broke free after 85km of racing. From that breakaway a 14-man breakaway emerged further on and they stayed away till the finish where Moreno made his move in the final kilometre. "It's the first time I've won an Italian classic," said Moreno, who was pipped to victory in this race by Gilbert when the Belgian took the first of two consecutive victories in 2009. "In the final kilometre (Luca) Paolini told me to go for it. When I looked back I saw I'd created a gap and just kept on going. "This win will give the whole team confidence for the Tour of Lombardy. Paolini is going well but Purito (Joaquin Rodriguez) and myself will be up there and motivated for the final classic of the season."