The moment the race was won

With 12.5km to go Greg Van Avermaet of BMC puts in a big attack on one of the sterrato sections of the Strade Bianche race. He gets a gap on the others in the lead group but as the gradient bites Fabian Cancellara closes the gap. The Radioshack-Nissan rider is seated, turning the pedals smoothly.

Moments later Cancellara catches and then passes Van Avermaet in a style similar to the way the Swiss rider despatched Tom Boonen on the Kapelmuur in the 2010 Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Alone and in the lead Cancellara rides solo to Siena to take the win. This was the moment the result was decided, when Cancellara went on to win the race… and when Van Avermaet lost.

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 4:44:59

2 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:42

3 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia

4 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:46

5 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:48

6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team 0:01:03

7 Francesco Reda (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 0:01:45

8 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 0:01:47

9 Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia

10 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda 0:01:57

11 Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan 0:03:58

12 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes

13 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team

14 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team

15 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale

16 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:02

17 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Project 1T4i 0:07:50

18 Laurent Didier (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan

19 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin – Barracuda

20 Patxi Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Utensilnord Named

21 Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes

22 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team

23 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Type 1 – Sanofi

24 Rémi Cusin (Fra) Team Type 1 – Sanofi

25 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team

26 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale

27 Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia

28 Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin – Barracuda

29 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale

30 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team

31 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team

32 Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes

33 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone

34 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia

35 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Barracuda

36 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – ISD

37 Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes

38 Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox

39 Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone

40 Filippo Savini (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox

41 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team

42 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre – ISD

43 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox

44 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Team Type 1 – Sanofi

45 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan

46 Sergey Renev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team

47 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team

48 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team

49 Grégory Rast (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan

50 Daniele Colli (Ita) Team Type 1 – Sanofi

51 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan

52 Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale