Moreno Moser

Having competed for U.S. Montecorona as a junior and Arvedi Lucchini Unidelta as an amateur, Moser joined professional team Liquigas–Cannondale in the second half of 2011 as a stagiaire.[5][6] Moser remained with Liquigas–Cannondale after his stint as a stagiaire, having signed a two-year professional deal from 2012.[7]

Moser achieved his first professional victory in February 2012, at the Trofeo Laigueglia, after making a solo bid for victory in the closing stages.[8][9] He repeated that feat at May's Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, attacking out of a four-man lead group within the race's final kilometre.[10][11]

Moser won his first UCI World Tour race at the Tour de Pologne in July. During the race's first stage, Moser launched a late attack in the closing kilometre, in Jelenia Góra; he managed to hold off the rest of the field for the stage win.[12] He held the race lead until the fourth stage, when Omega Pharma–Quick-Step's Michał Kwiatkowski took the lead through bonus seconds gained at intermediate sprint points.[13] On the penultimate stage, Moser took his second stage victory after passing Team Sky rider Sergio Henao in the closing metres, after he had gone off the front with an attack.[14] Moser stayed out of trouble on the final stage, and won the race overall by five seconds, ahead of Kwiatkowski.[15]

In the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Moser came close to victory as he was part of a group of four escapees that held a very small advantage over the lead group as they crossed the last kilometer mark. Team Katusha's Alexandr Kolobnev produced an acceleration, but was passed by Moser and Lars Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky), the latter grabbing the victory. Moser held on to second place, two seconds in arrears of the victor, while some members of the chasing group crossed the line only two seconds behind Moser.[16]

In February, Moser helped his team-mate Peter Sagan win the Gran Premio Città di Camaiore by pulling the leading group and nullifying attacks such as one from their former team-mate Vincenzo Nibali, now riding for the Astana team.[17] The following weekend, Moser then took victory at Strade Bianche in Siena, accelerating away from the peloton with around 17 km (11 mi) remaining in pursuit of a four-rider breakaway. He caught up to them and accelerated away from them on the final climb, a steep 16% gradient ramp inside the final kilometre; he led home a Cannondale one-two, as Sagan was able to finish in second place.[18]