BERGAMO, Italy (AFP) – Esteban Chaves closed out the 2016 WorldTour calendar in style at Il Lombardia on Saturday. After 240 grueling kilometers in the scenic but rugged north of Italy, the 26-year old Orica – BikeExchange rider surged past Astana’s Diego Rosa and Cannondale – Drapac’s Rigoberto Urán in the final moments of a three-man sprint in Bergamo. The victory makes him Colombia’s first-ever winner of one of cycling’s five “monument” classics.
“It’s incredible, I can’t believe I’ve won Lombardia,” Chaves said. “I turned pro here in Lombardy with Coldeportes, I lived here in Bergamo for two years, just one kilometer from here, and now I’ve won this race. It’s really special.”
Top 10
- 1. Jhoan Esteban CHAVES RUBIO, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE, in 6:26:36
- 2. Diego ROSA, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
- 3. Rigoberto URAN URAN, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC, at :00
- 4. Romain BARDET, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :06
- 5. Davide VILLELLA, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC, at 1:19
- 6. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 1:24
- 7. Robert GESINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 1:24
- 8. Warren BARGUIL, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:24
- 9. Alessandro DE MARCHI, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:24
- 10. Pierre LATOUR, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 1:24
It took well over an hour of racing from Como before the day’s main early breakaway formed. Stefan Denifl (IAM Cycling), Damiano Caruso (BMC Racing), Mickael Cherel (Ag2r-La Mondiale), and Rudy Molard (Cofidis) comprised the four-man move that finally succeeded in breaking away, and once the escapees finally got clear, the pace in the pack slowed down considerably. That allowed the riders up front to build a sizable advantage of around seven minutes — but it wouldn’t last.
With Astana and Cannondale providing most of the firepower in the chase, the gap began to fall on the up-and-down parcours, dropping down to four minutes by the time the riders had reached the midway point of the race. The challenging Valcava climb saw Cherel and Denifl dropped from the move, leaving only Molard and Caruso. With around 60km to go, Caruso left Molard behind to press on solo, but things were heating up in the pack.
A flurry of attacks in the peloton, with Chaves and Bardet among the aggressors, forced a selection that left only less than 20 riders in the main chase group behind the flagging escapees. With the likes of Dan Martin (Etixx – Quick-Step) and Joaquím Rodríguez (Katusha) missing the move — and 2016 winner Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) skipping the race — a first-time winner was all but guaranteed.
The pack swept up Molard and then closed down Caruso, making for an open race at the head of affairs. Chaves, Urán, and Ag2r-La Mondiale’s Romain Bardet initiated the decisive move 30 kilometers from the finish on the Selvino climb. The trio became a quartet when Rosa joined the move after chasing for several kilometers, and even with names like Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Fabio Aru (Astana) lurking in the main chase group behind, the escapees were able to extend their advantage. They took more than a minute into the short but steep final climb of the Bergamo Alta.
Rosa tried to get clear on the ascent but he was unable to open up a gap. Chaves countered, dropping Bardet from the group, but Urán and Rosa remained glued on his wheel going over the top of the climb and into the descent.
Another attempted escape by Rosa was brought to heel inside the final 2km, setting up a high-speed three-way battle for the line. Chaves and Rosa looked to fast-finishing Urán to lead the group into the finale, and then Rosa kicked off the sprint with around 400 meters to go. The Italian looked to have a healthy early advantage, but Chaves powered to the front in the closing meters of the finishing straight to claim the victory. Rosa settled for second, with Urán in third.
“It’s a big thing for me to become the first non-European to win Il Lombardia and the first Colombian to win a monument,” Chaves said. “In the last kilometer I was scared to not win, but had I come second or third I knew I had done my best anyway. I’m a grand tour specialist and I’ve had a 2016 season in which I reached the goals I had at the beginning of the year, but if there’s a one-day race that has a special place in my heart, it’s this one”.
“I really thought I could win,” said runner-up Rosa, who was in tears at the finish. “I attacked before the final bend and thought it would be enough to beat Chaves. If I’d come out of that bend a little quicker I would have succeeded.”
Urán, claiming his second third-place finish at Il Lombardia after 2012, said he had no complaints about narrowly missing the win again.
“Today I was struggling a little on the descents. On the Valcava [descent], I was losing a little ground at every bend and spent a lot of energy trying to keep up,” he said.
“But in the end, the rider with the best legs won.”
- 1. Jhoan Esteban CHAVES RUBIO, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE, in 6:26:36
- 2. Diego ROSA, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :00
- 3. Rigoberto URAN URAN, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC, at :00
- 4. Romain BARDET, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at :06
- 5. Davide VILLELLA, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC, at 1:19
- 6. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 1:24
- 7. Robert GESINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 1:24
- 8. Warren BARGUIL, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 1:24
- 9. Alessandro DE MARCHI, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:24
- 10. Pierre LATOUR, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 1:24
- 11. Fabio ARU, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 1:26
- 12. Gianluca BRAMBILLA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 2:04
- 13. Rodolfo Andres TORRES AGUDELO, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 2:05
- 14. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 2:42
- 15. Rui Alberto FARIA DA COSTA, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 5:02
- 16. Matvey MAMYKIN, TEAM KATUSHA, at 5:02
- 17. Rudy MOLARD, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 5:02
- 18. Darwin ATAPUMA HURTADO, BMC RACING TEAM, at 5:33
- 19. Bauke MOLLEMA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 6:24
- 20. Jakob FUGLSANG, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 6:36
- 21. Jan BAKELANTS, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 7:17
- 22. Diego ULISSI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 8:10
- 23. Sébastien REICHENBACH, FDJ, at 8:10
- 24. Kenny ELISSONDE, FDJ, at 8:10
- 25. Alessio TALIANI, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 8:10
- 26. Peter KENNAUGH, TEAM SKY, at 8:10
- 27. Igor ANTON HERNANDEZ, DIMENSION DATA, at 8:10
- 28. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 8:10
- 29. Frank SCHLECK, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 8:10
- 30. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 8:10
- 31. Michael WOODS, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC, at 8:10
- 32. Stéphane ROSSETTO, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 10:30
- 33. Damiano CUNEGO, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI, at 10:30
- 34. Ben HERMANS, BMC RACING TEAM, at 10:30
- 35. Michael GOGL, TINKOFF, at 10:30
- 36. Manuele MORI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 10:30
- 37. Domenico POZZOVIVO, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 10:30
- 38. Sam OOMEN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 10:30
- 39. Simon GESCHKE, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 10:30
- 40. Sergey LAGUTIN, TEAM KATUSHA, at 10:30
- 41. Simone PETILLI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 15:05
- 42. Alexis VUILLERMOZ, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 15:51
- 43. Carlos VERONA QUINTANILLA, OBE, at 15:51
- 44. Odd Christian EIKING, FDJ, at 15:51
- 45. Pavel KOCHETKOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at 15:51
- 46. Yonder GODOY, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST, at 15:54
- 47. Mattia CATTANEO, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 15:57
- 48. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 15:57
- 49. Franco PELLIZOTTI, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 15:57
- 50. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC RACING TEAM, at 16:01
- 51. Simone VELASCO, BARDIANI CSF, at 18:12
- 52. Víctor DE LA PARTE, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 18:12
- 53. Petr VAKOC, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 18:12
- 54. Davide REBELLIN, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 18:12
- 55. Damiano CARUSO, BMC RACING TEAM, at 18:12
- 56. Andrei SOLOMENNIKOV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO, at 18:12
- 57. Daniel MARTÍNEZ, WILLIER – TRESTINA, at 18:12
- 58. Romain HARDY, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 18:12
- 59. Stefan DENIFL, IAM CYCLING, at 18:12
- 60. Julian ALAPHILIPPE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 18:16
- 61. David DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 20:09
- DNF Dario CATALDO, ASTANA PRO TEAM
- DNF Andriy GRIVKO, ASTANA PRO TEAM
- DNF Tanel KANGERT, ASTANA PRO TEAM
- DNF Miguel Angel LOPEZ MORENO, ASTANA PRO TEAM
- DNF Paolo TIRALONGO, ASTANA PRO TEAM
- DNF Mikael CHEREL, AG2R LA MONDIALE
- DNF Hubert DUPONT, AG2R LA MONDIALE
- DNF Cyrille GAUTIER, AG2R LA MONDIALE
- DNF Marco BANDIERA, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC
- DNF Francesco GAVAZZI, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC
- DNF Alberto NARDIN, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC
- DNF Daniele RATTO, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC
- DNF Serghei TVETCOV, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC
- DNF Sonny COLBRELLI, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Simone ANDREETTA, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Enrico BARBIN, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Stefano PIRAZZI, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Lorenzo ROTA, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF
- DNF Philippe GILBERT, BMC RACING TEAM
- DNF Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM
- DNF Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, BMC RACING TEAM
- DNF Alberto BETTIOL, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC
- DNF Andre Fernando S. Martins CARDOSO, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC
- DNF Davide FORMOLO, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC
- DNF Moreno MOSER, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC
- DNF Tom Jelte SLAGTER, CANNONDALE – DRAPAC
- DNF Felix GROSSSCHARTNER, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Jan HIRT, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Lukasz OWSIAN, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Maciej PATERSKI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Simone PONZI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Branislau SAMOILAU, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
- DNF Anthony PEREZ, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
- DNF Nicolas EDET, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
- DNF Arnold JEANNESSON, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
- DNF Luis Angel MATE MARDONES, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
- DNF Anthony TURGIS, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
- DNF Laurens DE PLUS, ETIXX – QUICK STEP
- DNF Pieter SERRY, ETIXX – QUICK STEP
- DNF Zdenek STYBAR, ETIXX – QUICK STEP
- DNF Alexandre GENIEZ, FDJ
- DNF Jérémy MAISON, FDJ
- DNF Steve MORABITO, FDJ
- DNF Anthony ROUX, FDJ
- DNF Jérémy ROY, FDJ
- DNF Alexander KOLOBNEV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Igor BOEV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Sergey FIRSANOV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Alexander FOLIFOROV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Artem NYCH, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Evgeny SHALUNOV, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Aydar ZAKARIN, GAZPROM – RUSVELO
- DNF Oliver ZAUGG, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Stef CLEMENT, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Mathias FRANK, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Vegard Stake LAENGEN, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Jarlinson PANTANO GOMEZ, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Lawrence WARBASSE, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Marcel WYSS, IAM CYCLING
- DNF Matteo BONO, LAMPRE – MERIDA
- DNF Kristijan DURASEK, LAMPRE – MERIDA
- DNF Jan POLANC, LAMPRE – MERIDA
- DNF Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Sander ARMEE, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Gert DOCKX, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Bart DE CLERCQ, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Maxime MONFORT, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Tim WELLENS, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Jelle VANENDERT, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Louis VERVAEKE, LOTTO SOUDAL
- DNF Winner ANACONA GOMEZ, MOVISTAR TEAM
- DNF Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM
- DNF Dayer Uberney QUINTANA ROJAS, MOVISTAR TEAM
- DNF Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, MOVISTAR TEAM
- DNF Grega BOLE, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Pier Paolo DE NEGRI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Iuri FILOSI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Eduard Michael GROSU, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Yuma KOISHI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Genki YAMAMOTO, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Gianfranco ZILIOLI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
- DNF Jack HAIG, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Damien HOWSON, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Jens KEUKELEIRE, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Ruben PLAZA MOLINA, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Amets TXURRUKA, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Robert POWER, ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE
- DNF Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Natnael BERHANE, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Omar FRAILE MATARRANZ, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Serge PAUWELS, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Kristian SBARAGLI, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Kanstantsin SIUTSOU, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Jaco VENTER, DIMENSION DATA
- DNF Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
- DNF Fredrik LUDVIGSSON, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
- DNF Tobias LUDVIGSSON, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
- DNF Sindre SKJOESTAD LUNKE, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
- DNF Albert TIMMER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
- DNF Joaquim RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, TEAM KATUSHA
- DNF Alberto LOSADA ALGUACIL, TEAM KATUSHA
- DNF Egor SILIN, TEAM KATUSHA
- DNF Rein TAARAMAE, TEAM KATUSHA
- DNF Angel VICIOSO ARCOS, TEAM KATUSHA
- DNF Enrico BATTAGLIN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Koen BOUWMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Wilco KELDERMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Bram TANKINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Alexey VERMEULEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
- DNF Mikel LANDA MEANA, TEAM SKY
- DNF Vasil KIRYIENKA, TEAM SKY
- DNF Leopold KONIG, TEAM SKY
- DNF Mikel NIEVE ITURALDE, TEAM SKY
- DNF Wout POELS, TEAM SKY
- DNF Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY
- DNF Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY
- DNF Pavel BRUTT, TINKOFF
- DNF Jesper HANSEN, TINKOFF
- DNF Roman KREUZIGER, TINKOFF
- DNF Rafal MAJKA, TINKOFF
- DNF Matteo TOSATTO, TINKOFF
- DNF Sergio Miguel MOREIRA PAULINHO, TINKOFF
- DNF Pawel POLJANSKI, TINKOFF
- DNF Laurent DIDIER, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Fabio FELLINE, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Ryder HESJEDAL, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Julien BERNARD, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Jasper STUYVEN, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, TREK – SEGAFREDO
- DNF Filippo POZZATO, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
- DNF Julen AMEZQUETA, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
- DNF Rafael ANDRIATO, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
- DNF Andrea FEDI, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
- DNF Cristian RODRIGUEZ MARTIN, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
- DNF Eugert ZHUPA, WILLIER – SOUTHEAST
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