Italian Mattia Gavazzi pipped compatriot and race leader Alberto Loddo to take victory in stage two of the Settimana Ciclista Lombarda.

Loddo, whose Tinkoff team won the opening stage time trial, retains the overall lead after finishing second behind Preti Mangimi's Gavazzi following the 163.8-km trip from Brignano to Costa Volpino.

Argentine Mauro Abel Richeze rounded out the podium, finishing third in the sprint finale in front of compatriot Guillermo Ruben Bongiorno.

The 24-year-old Gavazzi claims the biggest win of his career on a palmares that includes stage victories last year on the Vuelta Ciclista a Navarra, the Tour de Normandie, and the Jadranska Magistrala.

Stage three takes the peloton 174.4-km through the city of Dalmine.

STAGE ONE

Tinkoff Credit Systems won the opening stage of the 38th Settimana Ciclista Lombarda - an 18.3km team time-trial around Brignano.

Tinkoff finished the course just eight seconds ahead of LPR Brakes, with Rabobank Continental, CSF Group Navigare, and Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo coming next.

The result means that former Tour of Qatar winner Alberto Loddo takes the leader's jersey.

Amongst the starters from second-place LPR Brakes was last year's controversial Giro winner Danilo Di Luca who remains under doping investigation from the Italian Olympic Committee.

The race runs until April 6th with the second stage seeing the riders make the 163.8km trek from Brignano to Costa Volpino.

Eurosport