Columbia-HTC's Marco Pinotti ended his year on a high note on Sunday when he powered home to a convincing victory in the GP Citta di Stresa time trial in Italy.  Pinotti's win brings down the curtain on the 2009 season for Columbia-HTC, and it also brings the men's team's final tally of season wins to 86 - one more than in 2008.

Pinotti completed the 33.8 kilometre course one minute and five seconds ahead of Italy's Alessandro Raisoni. Ivan Basso finished third at 1-29.  "It was a good win, and knowing this was the 86th victory for Columbia-HTC this year really is the icing on the cake," Pinotti said afterwards."

"The time trial course was simple.  It went out and back alongside a lake, so I really gave it everything on the second half. That's where I made the difference.  Taking a victory here on home soil in Italy as a way to round off the year is a nice feeling. It's a good way to start my winter holidays!"  Pinotti recognised that finishing well over a minute ahead of his closest rival  was "a big gap.  But a lot of the guys did the Tour of Lombardy the day before, and maybe that affected them.  I myself was worried after not performing so well there, but things went completely the other way for me today and I managed to win."

Pinotti's victory came in the last race for Columbia-HTC this year, a season in which the men's and women's squads have taken a combined total of 132 victories by 21 different riders.