Today is the day: Il Lombardia is once again going to decide this year’s PT winners and losers and write the final chapter of this year’s intense cycling calendar. The sky up Bergamo lets half-view a rainy weather for the day, although we haven’t seen the first showers yet.
Dzhus, Kung, Ludvigsson and Vanmarcke are today’s first attackers. So far, they’ve never gotten to have a good advantage though, and while other escapees break away from the pack, the peloton starts pulling hard to get them back behind.
With 200 kilometers to go, the group has finally calmed down, and now the break has got a 3 minutes edge over them. Hacecký meanwhile has joined the 4 of them at the head of the race, while Phelan and Oelerich, who had tried to escape with him, got caught the group just a few kilometers ago.
The 5 hit the ‘Valico di Valcava’ with almost 6 minutes on the peloton.
Vanmarcke is momentarily dropped by the rest of his companions, showing not to be very keen on long hills at all.
The leaders reach the top of the climb with a gap of 1 minute and a half compared to the Belgian, while the group is 8 minutes behind already.
Nice comeback for Vanmarcke, who joins the head back halfway through the next downhill.
Aker and Bouygues are currently in charge of the pack, laying down a slow pace. With 150 kilometers to go, their gap is around 10 minutes.
It just started to rain quite heavily as the riders reached the top of the short ‘Colle Brianza’. Hopefully that won’t have any effects on the racing…
The break has reached the ‘Muro di Sormano’ already, while the group started to chase them down for real. The gap is down to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, we’re informed that a few riders sitting at the back end of the pack have been involved in small, not too serious crashes. So far, no big names have had bad luck of this kind, fortunately.
Vanmarcke, as expected, gets dropped again in the steepest part of the Muro.
This very part of the ‘Colma di Sormano’ averages 16% for 3 kilometers and a half, but it can touch a scary 19% at some points, like the one in the picture below.
For the second time today, Vanmarcke gets back on his companions’ wheels at the end of the following descent. With 77 kilometers to go, when the next climb, the epic ‘Madonna del Ghisallo’ is right behind the corner, the bunch needs to bridge 4 minutes with the break.
The Belgian suffered his heroic efforts and got caught by the group just as they were approaching the Ghisallo.
Bad news just reached us: Ben Gastauer, Vesuvio alleged captain, is forced to retire because of a nasty fall occurred a few kilometers before. To say the least, the PT rankings fighting team can still count on at least 2 really valid leaders.
The break reaches the top of the ‘Madonna del Ghisallo’ and can quickly stare at the oldest in the world church they’ve been dedicated.
Back to the racing, the pack is now just 1 minute and 30 behind.
Froome pulls a downhill attack! He only finds Bouygues Telecom’s steady response, they clearly won’t let a favourite go this easily.
No luck for him. Next up is the ‘Villa Vergano’, a climb that has always been particularly suited to attacks.
…it looks like it actually is. With 27 kilometers to go, Bakelants, Boasson Hagen and Van Garderen escape from the peloton with a tremendous attack! The trio has already caught up with Kung, who has been swallowed up by the group as well, while Hacecký and Dzhus are currently with them.
Ludvigsson takes advantage of the current situation and goes on his own.
Tinkoff is in the lead trying to bring Trofimov back there. They currently stand 20 seconds behind the 3 favourites’ break.
The Russian army fills the gap with them, who had caught Ahlstrand in the meantime.
Other bad news incoming… and also this time it’ll be bad news for Vesuvio, mostly… Andy Schleck apparently was caught off guard by the higher tempo set by the head of the race, and standing in the second half of the pack, he got dropped along with a group of 45. What an unlucky day for Vesuvio this has been so far, especially in such a decisive moment of the season.
The bunch in the lead is made up of circa 80 riders and currently can count on more than 2 minutes on Schleck’s group.
A break of 6 with most of the names you’d expect to see attacks, just when we reach the crucial part of the climb! Ponzi started the attack, and is carrying Ricco, Trofimov, Bakelants, Hagen and Van Garderen away with him.
The group is trying to bring them back behind, but they won’t have easy life! What an intense race, and they still need to ride through more than 23 kilometers!
Ponzi with a raise! The Ardennes recluse is uncontrollable today, and only Bakelants can follow his wheels for the moment.
The two of them look to be the stronger of them all today, as they’ve already gained more than 30 seconds on the rest of their initial group!
Behind them, they don’t want to give in such a prestigious race when there’s still quite some field to try to get back on them. Ricco and Trofimov are trying the hardest currently.
Trofimov eventually manages to catch them a few kilometers later. Ricco is still some seconds behind - the pic doesn’t convey the idea too well.
Ginanni meanwhile escaped from the pack and is already pretty close to Van Garderen’s and Hagen’s duo, who in turn have caught Ricco, who didn’t manage to join the 3 in front.
Here’s a heads-up, right at the feet of the last climb, ‘San Fermo di Battaglia’:
The head of the race gets under the sign indicating that there’s less than 10 kilometers to go, and they’re soon to tackle the last chance for the punchers to shine!
The pack, led by Dekker, caught Ginanni and Ricco, and at the moment I’m typing, they also force Van Garderen and Hagen to give up, at least temporarily. This means that there’s just a group of 3 in the front.
Trofimov surprisingly gets dropped! The Russian suffers the mad pace Ponzi and Bakelants are setting. Nothing is decided for him though, if he sits and climbs at his own pace he might eventually try something!
Right behind him, Gesink tries his luck! He is 40 seconds behind Tinkoff’s captain, about a minute behind the leading duo.
Bakelants and Ponzi reached the top of San Fermo already! 5 kilometers to go now, and if nothing unexpected happens, it looks like they’re going to fight it out in a sprint.
Trofimov interestingly started to gain some time back on them. Currently he is less than 20 seconds behind the leading duo, and if the two of them make the common mistake of looking at each other for too long, a tough opponent may get back on their wheels for the final sprint.
Flamme Rouge it is! 1 kilometer to go, Ponzi in the better position after forcing his rival to relay for the entireness of the final downhill sector. Trofimov still bridging the gap second by second, but the time may heartbreakingly not be enough for him.
The sprint is off! Ponzi gets off Bakelants’ wheel and effortlessly overtakes him with a few meters to go!
As you can see, Trofimov was getting so close to the point of seeing the duo, but unfortunately for him, he’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the sprint for the 1st place.
Less than 100 meters to go, Ponzi extends his margin, it’s just a matter of seconds until he’ll be able to celebrate his second monument of the season!
He has done it! What a win for this season’s dominator! He was the one to attack and form the 6-men break with 25 kilometers to go, he was the one to shake off anyone else but Bakelants a few kilometers later, and it was thanks to his inhuman forcing that Trofimov got dropped! Never has a win been more deserved than this, the fans will go mad for him, especially after taking such a win a few kilometers away from where he was born, Kudos!
Bakelants was perfect today, both tactically and physically, but had to bow at yet another great performance by Simone Ponzi. He’ll have to settle for yet another 2nd place, but I’m sure he won’t mind after watching is race on the TV.
Trofimov lacked the stamina today, but he still takes a bittersweet podium.
The group arrives almost a minute later and Koretzky surprisingly takes the 4th place after anticipating the sprint. Important spot with a view at the PT rankings fight.
Behind him, well, that’s what you call a pretty damn close sprint I guess! Sagan isn’t less so for Becherovka and takes a more than very nice 5th and keeps overperforming hilariously, while as for the other places… well that might be a tad more difficult for the race directors to decide!
For now we’re told that Van Garderen narrowly snatches the 6th and gathers some important points for Movistar. Pichon is 7th, in front of someone who hoped to obtain more than 8th today, who is Boasson Hagen. Ginanni is 9th, in front of Ricco who rounds off the top 10, grabbing other points for Festina’s final rush at the ProTour.
Flügel comes just outside of the top 10, providing a perfect final picture of Volkswagen’s season, while Gilbert is 12th in front of Froome, Dekker, Gautier and Madrazo.
Denifl closes his race in 22nd, Pozzovivo comes in 28th, with Skujins ending up in 33rd in his same group. Same for Gesink, 36th today.
Best placed rider for Vesuvio is Frank Schleck, coming in 45th. Yup, that must hurt at this point. Cunego is just 68th. The Italian didn’t use his skills to even try to take a win here for the 4th time ever.
