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Tour de France champion Cadel Evans pulled out of the Amstel Gold race after battling a cold through the Ardennes Classics.
Enrico Gasparotto became the first Italian since 2008 to win a classic when he crossed the line first in a furious sprint for the finish at the Dutch race.
The 30-year-old Astana rider beat Belgium’s Jelle Vanendert and Peter Sagan of Slovakia in the final straight, chasing Spain’s Oscar Freire, who broke away 6km from the finish and was only caught in the final 50m.
Evans abandoned the race after the second ascent at Cauberg, 75km from the finish.
He hopes to be in better shape for Wednesday’s Fleche Wallonne, the second Ardennes Classic, which Evans won two years ago.
Evans also plans to ride in Liege-Bastogne-Liege at the end of Ardennes week and then prepare for the April 24-29 Tour of Romandie, where he is the defending champion.
“It’s hard to (recover) in these weather conditions and with this hard racing,” Evans said post-race.
“Hopefully I will come around maybe for Fleche Wallonne or Liege, and at least be useful for the team, and for me personally to be good for Romandie.”
Evans is riding the Ardennes races mainly to support team-mates such as Philippe Gilbert, who finished sixth in the Amstel Gold.
The Tour of Romandie is a major lead-up race for Evans’ Tour de France defence.
This illness is not a massive setback to his campaign, but Evans needs to return to top health as soon as possible so his program has no disruptions.
Nine riders broke away at the 39km mark of the 256.5km Amstel Gold course from Maastricht to Valkenburg and put up to 13 minutes 20 seconds between themselves and the pack.
Evans’ BMC team joined Katusha in leading the chase, clawing back the deficit until Freire’s breakaway.
Gilbert, who has won the two previous editions of the race, tried to keep with the pace but faded in the last 100m.
The win for Gasparotto, who came third in the race two years ago, is his first major classic victory. He was a stage winner in the Giro in 2007 and also won the Italian championships in 2005.
“I can hardly believe it. In the sprint I saw that Peter (Sagan) was pulling ahead and I made an effort to get behind him,” the Italian said.
“I was thinking of the finish two years ago and the mistake I made by slowing up in the last 20 metres. I cycled with my head and got an incredible win.”
Italy selector Paolo Bettini hailed the victory, which was the country’s first in a one-day classic since Damiano Cunego in the Tour of Lombardy four years ago.
“Enrico won in brilliant fashion and beat some top class cyclists. Italy has not won a classic since 2008. Another good sign is the presence of several other Italians at the top of the field. It’s a great day for Italian cycling.”
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