Juan Ayuso wins the 62nd Laigueglia Trophy.

It is the Spaniard class of 2002 Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) who won the 62nd edition of the Trofeo Laigueglia, in the setting of the beautiful village in the province of Savona. The talented Iberian athlete, who had already scored on Sunday in France in the Faun Drome Classic, tried several times to go away alone on the Colla Micheri climb, with three sprints in as many passages (the final circuit was to be repeated four times), but he did not fully succeed in his intent. Four remained in front and in the end Ayuso (already third in Laigueglia last year and second in 2022) won the narrow sprint, with Brescia’s Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) and Australia’s Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) completing the podium. A gripping finale to a beautiful edition, with many people along the roads to witness live the historic classic that opened the cycling season in Italy. Organized by the City of Laigueglia with the technical direction of Gruppo Sportivo Emilia, the race was valid as the first round of Challenge Liguria and is part of the Professional Cycling League’s Italian Regions Cup calendar. The event also enjoyed the patronage of the Region of Liguria, the Professional Cycling League and the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy.THE CHRONICLE Nine men in a breakaway from the early stages of the race: Victor Guernalec (Arkea B&B), Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché Wanty), Asbjorn Hellemose (Jayco AlUla), Matteo Badilatti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta), Odd Christian Eiking (Tietema Rockets), Alex Tolio (VF Bardiani Csf Faizanè), Johan Meens (Wagner Bazin WB) and Lorenzo Nespoli (MBH Bank Ballan CSB). 4’05” was the maximum margin over the peloton at km 107. Gradually the outrider group thins out, particularly when the final circuit begins with the Colla Micheri climb (to be climbed four times). With 22 km to go, the top group becomes compact again (Bais, Eking and Badilatti the last escapees to be caught). With 21 km to go, up the climb, Ayuso’s attack, followed by Scaroni and Powless (EF Education-Easypost), who then lost contact but came back ahead of the last lap, as did Storer. Ayuso also sprints on the last lap, again uphill, is followed again by Scaroni, and then Powless re-enters again on the descent, as does Storer. So it is the four of them who play for the win, with Ayuso starting long winning clearly ahead of Scaroni and the Australian Storer. 4th Powless (EF), 5th Giovanni Carboni (Tietema Rockets), 6th Magnus Shaffield (Ineos), 7th Alberto Bettiol (Astana), 8th Louis Barrè (Intermarchè Wanty), 9th Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies), 10th Simone Gualdi (Intermarchè Wanty). A Badilatti the mountain grand prix classification. Christian Scaroni, on the other hand, is the first leader of the Coppa Italia delle Regioni of the Professional Cycling League.COMPLETE ORDER OF ARRIVALPhoto Sprint Cycling Agency