Pelucchi & Felline podium at Uruguay’s Rutas de America

Uruguay’s Rutas de America concluded Sunday with GEOX-TMC finishing 7^th as a team, thanks in large part to Italian neo-pro Matteo Pelucchi’s top-ten finishes in 4 of the 6 stages.

Coming off his first career win at the Clasica de Almeria, Pelucchi finished 2^nd in both the first and last stages of the race.

In the 140.1-km first stage that ran from Uruguay’s capital Montevideo to Minas, Pelucchi came in 2nd behind Dario Diaz of Villa Teresa, followed closely in the final sprint by teammates Tomas Alberio and Marko Kump, who finished 4th and 9^th respectively. Three GEOX-TMC members in the top-ten assured the team a 2^nd place finish in the team classification.

“The entire team did a great job,” said Pelucchi after day one. “It’s too bad because today we could have won, but we’re in good shape, and there will be room in the upcoming stages to try again.”

On day three, in the 154.2-km 3^rd stage, GEOX-TMC had yet another strong showing: Kump finished 5^th, Pelucchi 6^th, and the team took 3^rd.

GEOX-TMC’s Fabio Felline, returning from a collarbone injury sustained in February, finished 2^nd across the line in the 140.3-km 4^th stage after a brilliant performance on the day’s second Category 3-climb. Pelucchi finished 8^th, and the team again placed 2^nd in the team classification.

And in the race’s final stage, Pelucchi again claimed 2^nd. With three podium finishes and 5 top-ten’s, GEOX-TMC finished 7^th in the final team classification.