A sunny day in San Marino, as the riders line up for the start of the Coppa Placci. Some are excited, some not so much, especially those who don't like to go up and down. We should follow the creation of the breakaway with special interest, given that is the best move towards victory if history repeats itself. But results from the past are no guarantee for the future.
Early attacks were bound to happen with the uphill start: La Lavandier Hojgaard Coronel Wilson Ropero Rodrigues
Rodrigues was on the pre-race favorites list in the climbers section, interesting move to try and get into the breakaway.
Another group of six rides away from the peloton and join the previous six attackers: Ikibe Abelouache Egidio Izagirre Khripta Hardy
More strong climbers at the front now, putting the puncheurs in a difficult position.
Gaudu decides that twelve is not quite enough yet, and tries to switch sides on the second climb. BNZ, Equinor and Netia are the teams which are not content with this strong breakaway and try to keep the gap within reasonable margins. Some riders have already been dropped from the peloton and will have a tough day ahead of them.
Despite the constant chasing, the lead group maintains a lead. Gaudu now joined on the back of the queue. Rodrigues as arguably the strongest climber setting the pace, a few riders in danger of being cut off. Thirteen is an unlucky number after all.
Reaching the top of third climb of the day, we have a good overview of who belongs in the breakaway and who doesn't: Izagirre Rodrigues Hardy Hojgaard Khripta Abelouache
as first group, with only twenty seconds to La Lavandier Ikibe
and a further twenty seconds to Wilson Egidio Coronel
Ropero somewhere behind them, Gaudu back in the peloton having had limited time to recover from his earlier effort. The gap from E1 to P is 2 minutes now.
Filippo Rocchetti at the back on the next climb set to be dropped. Federico Rocchetti let go at an earlier stage, so we are unlikely to see a third Rocchetti victory. Looking up a turn we see the front of the peloton, Equinor was the earliest pace setter but now we see a few different teams. Another turn upwards we have Ikibe, La Lavandier and Coronel as last men standing between the break and the peloton. The six leaders can be spotted one turn further down the road. It is a twisty climb after all, which might be deceptive in terms of gaps as that has shrunk to under two minutes.
And indeed, on the downhill between the picturesque streets of San Marino, the gap reaches three minutes. The three in-betweeners would be caught between now and the top of the sixth climb. Now that the break is definitive, let's treat them as favorites for the race:
Breakaway
MO
HL
RES
ACC
Abelouache
68
74
71
75
Hardy
75
73
68
70
Hojgaard
67
73
74
69
Izagirre
75
73
69
63
Khripta
75
74
70
67
Rodrigues
77
72
73
71
Four out of six are riding for amateur teams. Rodrigues rides for PCT team Berg, Hardy for CT team Bianchi. Every division is represented.
Bugge and later Besada would pick up the pace again and reduce the gap back to a mere 1'30 and the group to 40 riders, most favorites in the front positions. Valls is the major name on the wrong side, as are other climbing favorites Stetina and Hirschlein. Seboka was dropped on an earlier climb and will not return.
Kireva temporarily brought a part of the group back, including Valls and Baltazar. Bugge and De Clercq commence round two, and thin out the group to 23. Once again Valls and Baltazar on the wrong side but this time with the likes of Roux, Hugentobler, Masnada, Pellaud, Pibernik, Kebede and Skjerping.
The ninth climb of the day, four to go after this one. The gap to the front six is 1'40 and the pack is back to 60 riders, basically a reset to just before the splits. Valls and compadres are back in the group. 63 kilometer to go.
We might have a small problem here. Some of the helpers were done with their task, reducing the group to fifty-odd riders. However, with no one fresh to take over, the gap to the front has increased back up to three minutes again! Gaudu leads the peloton but he has spent some energy trying to get to the breakaway early in the race, then Gunman as relatively fresh rider but then we get to the favorites already, Bystrom foremost.
30k and no sign of the breakaway from the front of the peloton, as we reach the top of the third-a-last hill. The gap is 3'40, is there some kind of curse over this race that the favorites cannot win? That might still change, finally some fresh blood at the front with Teklit and Thiery. Favorites still alert on the front rows.
But then we have another split and this one seems more permanent. Valls once again caught napping, he should have received the memo by now. Let's see who is on the right side: Chaves Afonso, Brandao, Portela Edmondson Kebede Freuler, Masnada, Pellaud, Thiery Mudarra, Pons Bystrom Costa Diggle, Gaspar, Villella Roux Petrovski, Pibernik Hugentobler Hoelgaard Siskevicius, Teklit
On top of the second-a-last hill, the gap is down slightly to 3 minutes but we have only 20 kilometer and one final climb left. The gap between groups two and three is one minute. Bystrom, Costa and Chaves in the front three positions of the second group, as they have ran out of helpers.
I may have been a bit premature with calling the split permanent, the lack of helpers meant the favorites had to do it themselves and they obviously want to save energy for the final climb, hence Valls as a cat with nine lives returns again, and can thank Pirazzi for putting the hammer down. And the breakaway now leads by four minutes, surely they won't lose that.
Eight kilometer to go as we head onto the final climb. Khripta and Hojgaard attack as soon as we're on it! That is the start line in the background by the way. This climb is the same as the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh climb, but we slightly extend it to finish in central San Marino. The gap to the peloton is still over three minutes.
The duo lasted two kilometer but the six are reunited six kilometer from the top. No peloton in sight yet, they can afford to look at each other a bit, but one explosion from a favorite right at the bottom and the gap might be gone in a flash.
Speaking of, Roux is in trouble at the back of that group. The amount of climbing has eventually taken its toll. Teklit and Masnada lead the group heading into the final climb, no indication that they are making up time rapidly though.
2.4 kilometer, the half dozen hold out together though Khripta's earlier attack might come around to haunt him as he looks to be struggling. This is the place where we turn right instead of left, and continue climbing towards the old tower at Monte Titano.
Finally some action from the favorites, better late than never. Chaves puts the power down and rides away, Costa leading the group but unresponsive to this attack. Bystrom ever attentive in third position, the other favorites a bit further down the group.
Hardy leads the now four leaders into the final kilometer, as Khripta has let gone completely and Hojgaard also has to leave a gap. Rodrigues in second position, Izagirre in third, Abelouache in fourth. No sign of the approaching Chaves, who might take Khripta if he completely grinds to a halt, but the victory is out of reach. Once again the breakaway wins.
500 meters, alongside the old walls. Still the same order with no one quite launching a final sprint, though Abelouache makes his way alongside Izagirre. They all seem pretty tired.
Romain Hardy wins in San Marino! The first non-Italian winner, though he does ride for the Italian team Bianchi - Campagnolo. And from the breakaway, so that statistic remains alive!
Rodrigues in second place. Maybe the strongest climber but Hardy outsmarted him on the final climb. Abelouache takes the final spot on the podium and is the best amateur. Izagirre fourth, also a very nice result from an amateur team but also bittersweet for being so close to a podium.
Hojgaard rolls over the line in fifth ahead of Khripta who did not completely implode and had enough energy left to take sixth. They gambled on an attack which did not pay off.
Chaves the only favorite with the guts to attack but way too late. Seventh is the best he could achieve here.
Kebede eighth after a late attack. No victory for Campari or a Rocchetti but not a bad result as runner-up of the favorites. The top ten is completed by Hoelgaard and Siskevicius. Villela, Costa and Bystrom up next for eleventh to thirteenth.
Thiery and Freuler sprint for fourteenth place just for fun, finishing slightly ahead of the scattered favorites group. Gaspar, Mudarra, Pibernik, Masnada and Pellaud complete the top twenty. Edmondson disappointing with 23rd place. Valls in 27th but that is forgiven if your teammate wins the race. Roux, who had lost touch before the final climb, finishes 49th.
