A WINCHESTER cyclist has beaten other top riders to take his first win as a professional.
Paul Double, 28, won the second stage of the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali in Sogliano al Rubicone, Italy, after launching a blistering solo attack before holding off the pack on the steep uphill drag to the finish.
His victory also saw the Jayco AlUla rider, who grew up on a farm near the cathedral city, move into the general classification lead in the five-day stage race, snatching the lead from veteran sprinter Caleb Ewan.
With 2.6km to go, Double seared away from the group and maintained a lead of around ten seconds until the final cobbled stretch, where the other riders began to catch him.
READ MORE: Interview: Winchester cyclist Paul Double becomes top pro
The overall race was eventually won by fellow Brit Ben Tullett, who rides for Visma–Lease a Bike.
Double's success is particularly sweet as his road to the "premier league" of cycling, the World Tour, has been far from simple.
At 28, he is not amongst the youngest riders in the peloton, and, as he told the Chronicle in an interview last summer, suffered a series of setbacks before being offered a contract at Jayco AlUla, one of the 18 teams which make up the sport's top flight.
Now, Double will go to an altitude camp at Sierra Nevada in Spain as he prepares to race the three-week Giro d'Italia for the first time in May.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel
You must verify your phone number before you can comment.
Please enter your phone number below, and a verification code will be sent to you by text message.
Please enter the six-digit verification code sent to you by SMS.
Your verification code has been sent a second time to the mobile phone number you provided.
Your verification code has been sent a third time to the mobile phone number you provided.
You have requested your verification code too many times. Please try again later.
Didn’t receive a code? Send it againThe code you entered has not been recognised.
Please try again
You have failed to enter a correct code after three attempts.
Please try again later.
Your phone number has been verified.
Your phone number has been stored with your account details. We will never use it for anything other than verifying that you are the legitimate owner of this account.