Italy's Luca Paolini claimed victory in the Trofeo Laigueglia beating out compatriot Daniele Pietropolli and Argentine Maximiliano Richeze in a close final sprint.

The Acqua e Sapone rider won the mass sprint finale after 183.3-km of riding in the one-day race.

Italy's Enrico Gasparotto just missed out on a podium, finishing in fourth right behind Richeze.

Two-time champion Filippo Pozzato was relegated to seventh in the finale, while the race's previous two victors, Mikhail Ignatiev and Alessandro Ballan, did not contest the final sprint.

Eurosport