Columbia-Highroad's Thomas Lovkvist blasted to a superb victory in the gruelling Eroica Toscana one-day race in Italy on Saturday.

190 kilometres long, the  Eroica race is run over a unique combination of gravel tracks, dirt roads and normal tarmacked roads. It can therefore only be won by riders who are both exceptional bike handlers, and exceptionally talented athletes.

Lovkvist's win, his first for Columbia-Highroad and the tenth for the men's team in 2009, came from a late attack on the final climb to the centre of the town of Siena. The move powered him past Germany's Linus Gerdemann for an emphatic lone victory.

Second behind Lovkvist was German Fabian Wegmann, four seconds back, with Swiss rider Martin Elmiger in third.

"I've never taken a one-day race before, previously my wins had always been in stage races." the 24-year-old Lovkvist said. "That makes my victory here even more special than usual. I took eighth last year in the same race, so I knew what to expect, but the gravel tracks haven't got any easier!"

The Swedish rider has come close to getting a big win in the past, so winning Eroica represents a real breakthrough in his career.

"I've been progressing, but slowly. Last year I had 25 top ten finishes, but I was lacking that little bit extra you need for a victory. In the future,  I think I can do well not only in one-day races, but also week-long events like Tirreno-Adriatico, which is next on my program for 2009."

"But whatever happens in Tirreno, this win is a big bonus. It's the first for me in two years and the most important of my career so far."

Lokvist's victory is the fourth for Columbia-Highroad's men's team in less than a week, and takes their tally of wins for 2009 into double figures. The ten victories coming from six different riders.