THE Italian Francesco Casagrande coasted home with the pack on the eighth and final stage yesterday to win the Tirreno Adriatico cycle race. Casagrande was 55th in a pack of riders led across the line by Czech rider Jan Svorada in three hours, 53 minutes and 13 seconds after a 159 km stage from Grottamare.

He took the overall race lead in last Sunday's time trial and clocked a total time of 34 hours, 46 minutes and 18 seconds. Ukrainian Alexander Gonchenkov finished second overall, 23 seconds back, with Italy's Gianluca Pianegonda third, 29 seconds behind Casagrande.

Casagrande has been tipped as a future Giro d'Italia winner but he sidestepped questions about his prospects in this year's tour, saying he had yet to discover whether he had the stamina.

"I'd like to go for the Giro but if the same difficulties arise in 1996 and 1997 as they have in the past then I'd decide to concentrate on short stage races or one day events," he said.

Casagrande finished 22nd in the Giro in 1995 and 10th in 1994. His Tirreno Adriatico victory was the fourth in succession for an Italian and Casagrande's 14th.