Alberto Bettiol takes it in stride: “I like wine.”

Unlike in more recent editions, the 110th edition of the GranPiemonte presented by Crédit Agricole came down to a sprint finish among a small group, with former French national champion Dorian Godon emerging victorious. At the finish line in Bra, the Frenchman edged out Denmark’s Anthon Charmig and Alberto Bettiol, who had previously won the Verbania stage in the most recent Giro d’Italia.

The sprint finish was made possible by the peloton catching up to Isaac Del Toro and Finn Fisher-Black in the final moments of the race. The two had attacked on the final climb toward La Morra, managing to reach the summit with a lead of over 30 seconds over their pursuers.

Once the breakaway attempt was neutralized, it was Bettiol who launched the sprint 200 meters from the finish. The Tuscan rider, however, was unable to hold off Godon, who took the lead in the sprint and fended off Charmig’s late charge, crossing the finish line first and securing his seventh victory of the season.

“I love wine, and Piedmontese wines are very famous, so it’s almost a natural progression for me to finish on the podium in this race after winning the Milan–Turin and a stage of the Giro d’Italia in Piedmont this year. We worked well both with Ballerini in the breakaway and with Silva, who was supposed to be the designated sprint leader but crashed in the final stretch. The result is still positive and boosts our morale for the end of the season,” said the Tuscan rider.