Benoit Cosnefroy won the Gran Premio Città di Peccioli-Coppa Sabatini on 10 September 2026, taking the 25th victory of his career after a selective finish on wet roads in Toscane. After 197.6 km, and with the race still reduced to a 40-rider lead group, the decisive move came only in the closing metres as Pellizzari was caught just 60 metres from the line.
A hard race from the start
The riders gathered at the stadio comunale before the start for a new challenge on the roads of the Valdera, and the weather made it clear early that this would not be a straightforward day. Heavy rain in the area left the roads wet, and the race quickly became one of positioning, patience and timing rather than control.
Ferron and Zoccarato attacked at km 48 and built a lead of one minute, but the race tightened again as the kilometres passed. Later, Battistella, Vlasov and Molenaar attacked 48 km from the finish and went into the final three laps with a 30-second lead, underlining how difficult it was for any move to stay clear for long.
Pellizzari came close, but not close enough
The sharpest late move came from Pellizzari, who attacked 25 km from the finish and rode alone in the final 13 km. For a long time it looked like that effort might be enough to decide the race, but the gap finally closed in the last straight and he was caught 60 metres from the line.
That set the stage for Cosnefroy to finish the job and claim the win in 4h40'54" at an average speed of 42.200 km/h. In a race that had already asked plenty of the field, it was a result that rewarded the rider who could stay calm, stay in contact and produce at the very end.
A selective finish in Peccioli
The final picture showed how demanding the Gran Premio Città di Peccioli-Coppa Sabatini had been. From the early break attempts to the final solo effort, the race remained alive all the way to the line, but it was Cosnefroy who had the last word.
For Pellizzari, the margin of defeat was brutal. He was within sight of victory, but the closing 60 metres proved decisive, and Cosnefroy emerged with the race's biggest prize on a testing day in Peccioli.
