Colombia’s Nairo Quintana won the Tirreno-Adriatico after Fabian Cancellera claimed the seventh stage time-trial in San Benedetto del Tronto yesterday.

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Quintana, last year’s Giro d’Italia champion, had taken possession of the overall leader’s blue jersey in Sunday’s mountain-top victory in the snow.

And the Movistar rider held on to his lead after the closing stage’s 10 kilometre race-against-the-clock to finish 18 seconds clear of Dutch rival Bauke Mollema in the standings.

The success of Quintana, runner-up in the 2013 Tour de France, augurs well for the rest of the season after the second half of last year was disrupted by an injury suffered in the Tour of Spain.

For Swiss time-trial specialist Cancellera, this 50th stage win of his career set him up for his latest assault on Sunday’s Milan-San Remo. He is hoping to go one better after finishing second on three of the last four editions of the one-day classic.

Cancellera came in 4 seconds clear of Adriano Malori, who had relegated the Swiss classics specialist into second in the opening 5.4km time trial prologue last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sky’s Richie Porte has asserted he feels in the form of his life following his second Paris-Nice title in three years.

The 30-year Australian, who trailed leader Tony Gallopin by 36 seconds going into Sunday’s final day’s time trial, hopes this win can boost his confidence ahead of the Giro d’Italia.

“I relish this win even more than two years ago,” the Tasmanianborn cyclist said. “In between times I had a bad season (in 2014).” “I wasn’t sure I could win this Paris-Nice. I had lost time on Saturday,”

Porte explained. “There was too much tyre pressure, it was not ideal. It was like riding on ice. But I was confident.”