Rigoberto Uran third and Davide Villella fifth for Cannondale-Drapac as the road season winds down in Lombardia
Team News: Podium in Il Lombardia for Cannondale Drapac
Cannondale-Drapac lined-up for Il Lombardia hungry for a win to close out the season and with the form to match the motivation. While the victory proved evasive, the tactics in Italy on Saturday were textbook and put Rigoberto Uran into a race-winning position. In the end, the Colombian recorded the third Il Lombardia podium of his career as he sprinted to third place in Bergamo.
photo: Graham Watson
Minutes after the finish, Uran said: “I made a little mistake in the downhill and I paid for it. At the end, things went pretty well. I’m on the podium. I was going well too, but all day I was struggling a bit in the descents. I was a bit scared so I lost some time at every corner. But this is a beautiful race. I’m proud to have contested it for the win.â€
The final Monument unfolded according to plan initially. A non-threatening early breakaway escaped following a fast and frenzied start. Davide Formolo and Moreno Moser took to the front to control the chase. With the unrelenting finale approaching and the gap tumbling, an elite peloton began to take shape after the Sant-Antonio Abbandonato. Fifty kilometers from the finish, a group of 16 emerged, including Uran and Davide Villella.
Esteban Chaves (ORICA-BikeExchange) surged on the lower slopes of the Selvino, fracturing the leading group. Only Uran and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) could follow initially. Diego Rosa (Astana) dug deep to bridge across to the leading trio before the top of the penultimate climb. The quartet reached Bergamo with a 58-second lead on 10 chasers.
Uran and Chaves gapped Rosa and Bardet when Chaves accelerated on the Bergamo Alta. Rosa clawed his way back to the leading duo with the flamme rouge in sight and then launched an attack of his own. Chaves marked the move, setting the scene for a three-up sprint.
“We arrived for a sprint and the fastest won,†said Uran. “Esteban had the best legs of all of us in the front group.†Villella, who has quietly but consistently shown steady improvement throughout the entire season, was best of the rest, leading home the chase group in fifth place.
Cannondale-Drapac leaves Italy with four podiums and an additional three top ten finishes from six one-day Italian races. “We rode already for two weeks in Italy,†said sport director Fabrizio Guidi. “Maybe we were not the strongest team with the strongest riders but were consistently strong in every single race we did. We missed winning one of the races, but I can say nothing to the group I had here except ‘great job’ because they did all the right things. I’m very happy”.
“From my point of view, I think now we get where we’ve been looking forward to arriving since last year,†Guidi added. “Things have changed a lot but we’re getting the confidence finally. Finally we are there. We need to keep working like this. We’re in the right direction.â€
As the team looks toward next season, the recent results in Italy are something to build upon, according to Slipstream Sports CEO Jonathan Vaughters. “It’s a great way to end the season,†Vaughters said. “I think the hilly one day classics can be something we take a deeper focus on for 2017.â€
… continued after advert
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- RR Result: East Cleveland Classic
- Features, Reports, Results
- Crit Result: Thruxton Tuesday Series 2
- Crit Result: CDPP Sport Crit Series 1
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Series 1
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 4
- Crit Result: Rowe & King Maindy 1
- Q&A: Charlie Abraham (Lee Valley Youth Junior Cycling Team)
- Events: SSSCCRRL Road Race League
- Youth Result: Isle of Man Youth League
- Youth Result: Lawford Youth Series (Curborough) #2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #2
- Crit Result: Ride Flux Spring Crit series #2
- Youth Result: Maindy Flyers Freewheel League 1
- Ribble Collective: Ride More in ’24
- Crit Result: Tameside Cycling Development Circuit Races 1
- Crit Result: 2024 West Thames League 1
- Startlist: The Drummond Trophy
- TT Result: VTTA Surrey/Sussex 10 mile TT
- EVENTS: Proper Northern Road Races – Round 2 Oakenclough
- TTT Result: Scorton TTT
- TT Result: Manchester & District TTA 25m TT
- TT Result: Stowmarket & District CC 15m TT
- TT Result: Paceline RT Sporting TT
- TT Result: Hereford & District Wheelers 25m TT
- RR Result: Yorkshire RRL #1
- Crit Result: Scottish Student Cycling Criterium Championships
- Events: Dave Peck Memorial
- TT Result: Blaydon CC Two Up TT
- TT Result: Kent CA 10m TT
- TT Result: Wessex RC 24m TT
- TT Result: Easterley RC 25m TT
- TT Result: Cranbrook CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Penzance Wheelers 12.5m TT
- TT Result: Fife Century RC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bramley Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Mid Shropshire Wheelers 25m TT
- Youth Result: Hog Hill GP (National Youth Series)
- RR Result: Velo Club Venta Spring Road Race
- News: Women’s Tour of Britain
- Crit Result: Ennerdale Season Openers 2
- RR Result: NCRA Handicap RR (week 5)
Other News on VeloUK
- Events: SSSCCRRL Road Race League
- Ribble Collective: Ride More in ’24
- Startlist: The Drummond Trophy
- EVENTS: Proper Northern Road Races – Round 2 Oakenclough
- Events: Dave Peck Memorial
- News: Women’s Tour of Britain
- Startlist: PB Performance Espoirs Road Race
- East Cleveland Classic: Saint Piran Team
- News: New kit for Ribble Rebellion Riders
- Events: Halesowen Friday Track Nights
- Team News: Ribble Rebellion off to the USA
- News: Pedal Club Lunch (March)
- Rider News: Winning start for Billy Ladle
- News: CiCLE Classic 2024
- Startlist: Stars of the SW Men’s U23 RR
- Startlist: Danum Trophy 2024 (Nat B)
- Startlists: London Dynamo Road Races
- Startlist: La Fleche Waltonne Road Races (BMCR)
- Meet Ribble HoloRider
- Startlists: East Cleveland Classic 2024
- Former Winners: Lincoln Grand Prix
- Chris Lawless Joins Saint Piran Team
- Paracycling Track Worlds Day 4
- Para CyclingWorlds Final Day
- Startlist: National Youth Circuit Series Rd 1
- Report/Result: Azets Spring Classic
- Startlists: RCR Fat Creations Road Races
- Startlist: Capernwray Road Race (March 31)
- Team Report: Fensham Howes MAS Design Junior Team
- Team Report: CiCLE Classic Junior Men
- RIDER REPORTS – Zoe Parker (Solihull CC)
- GB News: Two World Titles for GB at Para Worlds
- Team News: Alba Development Road Team
- News: British Road Champs Return to NE
- THIS WEEKEND: Peaks Two Day is Back!
- News: Laura Kenny Retires
- Team News: Lee Valley Youth Cycling Team
- 2024/25 CYCLO-CROSS CALENDAR
- Startlist: Cardiff Ajax CC 10 Mile TT
- Startlists: 16th Gifford Road Races (Scotland)