Colbrelli wins Tre Valli Varesine

Sonny Colbrelli emerged victorious in a small bunch sprint at Tre Valli Varesine to make it two out of three victories in the Trittico Lombardo series of Italian one-day races.

The Bardiani-CSF rider, who won the Coppa Agostoni two weeks ago, rolled with the punches on a chaotic final lap of the up and down 12.5km Varese circuit and took the sprint from a group of around 15 riders. Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), who attacked repeatedly on the last of the nine laps, was second, with Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec’s Francesco Gavazzi third.

It was a seventh victory of the season for Colbrelli, who will join the nascent Bahrain-Merida team next year, and a third Italian one-day triumph in the space of a month after Agostoni and the Coppa Sabatini. 

“I felt good today and team backed me all day. I followed Ulissi and [Rigoberto] Uran when they attacked in the finale. I was on my limit but so was everyone else,” said the 26-year-old.

“This pays me back for all the hard work I’ve done in recent months and the hard work the Bardiani team has done for me. I’ve got to thank the team. I’ve had five great years with them.”

While last year’s Tre Valli Varesine was won solo by Vincenzo Nibali, this year it was settled by a sprint, despite covering the same parcours. The race started out in Saronno but reached Varese after 77km for nine laps of a 12.8km of a circuit that featured the short but significant Montello climb early on and other twisting roads in the city centre and near Lake Varese. 

After a frantic start to proceedings for 30km, a three-man breakaway of Eduard Grosu (Nippo-Fantini), Zak Dempster (Bora-Argon18) and Igor Boev (Gazprom-Rusvelo) opened up a sizeable advantage. It reached nine minutes, with Dempster giving his all on his birthday but the writing was on the wall for them when the action kicked off in the peloton with four of the five laps remaining. Topsport Vlaanderen and Cannondale-Drapac did much of the chasing.

Nibali was one of those to go on the front foot, with his Astana teammates Diego Rosa and Jakob Fuglsang showing an interest, along with the likes of Moreno Moser and Alessandro De Marchi. A group of six soon formed, with a few more sensing the opportunity and jumping across. The peloton remained lively, however, and the move came to nothing, with the bunch all together, though thinned out to around 60 riders, going into the final two laps.

BMC then began to take control, setting a fearsome pace that made it difficult for anyone to land a meaningful attack. Remy di Gregorio (Delko) made a solo effort and took a lead into the final lap but was caught by the start of the final Montello ascent, where those who couldn’t afford to wait for a sprint had to roll the dice. 

Fabio Aru was the first to do so but it wouldn’t stick, even if he continued to give it everything on the descent. There were more moves on the flat but then Nibali hit the front and knocked the pace off slightly. Heading into the final five kilometres, Ulissi’s Lampre-Merida teammates took matters in there own hands, and piled on the pressure when the road kicked up with three kilometres to go. Ulissi was soon on the attack in a move that saw BMC’s Philippe Gilbert distanced.

While Gianluca Brambilla (riding for the Italian national squad rather than Etixx-QuickStep), Jens Keukeleire (Orica-BikeExchange) and Kristian Sbaragli (Dimension Data) all responded, Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) dragged the lined-out and rapidly-thinning bunch up to the leaders, and it wasn’t long before the Colombian was alone on the attack himself with a strong surge over the top of the final climb.

As he headed under the flamme route, Ulissi knew he needed to do something and drove again, but in doing so dragged Colbrelli and others with him. Gavazzi was also there but the quartet started looking at each other, which allowed the stragglers the chance to regroup for the sprint.

In the end it was Colbrelli, who had played an intelligent game, who got the better of Ulissi, who had looked the strongest rider in the closing kilometres but perhaps had expended that bit more energy.  

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF4:48:18
2Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 1 - Cell 2
3Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 2 - Cell 2
4Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-DrapacRow 3 - Cell 2
5Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar TeamRow 4 - Cell 2
6Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing TeamRow 5 - Cell 2
7Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchangeRow 6 - Cell 2
8Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) ItalyRow 7 - Cell 2
9Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 8 - Cell 2
10Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension DataRow 9 - Cell 2
11Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 10 - Cell 2
12Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJRow 11 - Cell 2
13Daniel Martínez (Col) Wilier SoutheastRow 12 - Cell 2
14Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ0:00:03
15Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac0:00:04
16Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac0:00:13
17Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange0:00:16
18Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 17 - Cell 2
19Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Mauro Finetto (Ita) Unieuro WilierRow 19 - Cell 2
21Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Stˆlting Service GroupRow 20 - Cell 2
22Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 21 - Cell 2
23Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 22 - Cell 2
24Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 23 - Cell 2
25Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 24 - Cell 2
26Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Dimension DataRow 25 - Cell 2
27Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 26 - Cell 2
28Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJRow 27 - Cell 2
29Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 28 - Cell 2
30Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 29 - Cell 2
31Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin0:00:19
32Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Movistar Team0:00:23
33Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise0:00:36
34Simone Velasco (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 33 - Cell 2
35Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 34 - Cell 2
36Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 35 - Cell 2
37Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 36 - Cell 2
38Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 37 - Cell 2
39Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 38 - Cell 2
40Michael Woods (Can) Cannondale-Drapac0:00:41
41Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice0:00:44
42Matti Breschel (Den) Cannondale-Drapac0:01:02
43Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM0:01:07
44Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Dimension DataRow 43 - Cell 2
45Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM0:01:12
46Marco Tecchio (Ita) Unieuro WilierRow 45 - Cell 2
47Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:01:20
48Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Wilier SoutheastRow 47 - Cell 2
49Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Wilier SoutheastRow 48 - Cell 2
50Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:01:35
51Michele Gazzarra (Ita) Norda - Mg. K VisRow 50 - Cell 2
52Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 51 - Cell 2
53Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 52 - Cell 2
54Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 53 - Cell 2
55Amets Txurruka (Spa) Orica-BikeExchangeRow 54 - Cell 2
56Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff TeamRow 55 - Cell 2
57Alberto Nardin (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 56 - Cell 2
58Jack Haig (Aus) Orica-BikeExchangeRow 57 - Cell 2
59Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - MeridaRow 59 - Cell 2
61Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 60 - Cell 2
62Simone Petilli (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 61 - Cell 2
63Fausto Masnada (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 62 - Cell 2
64Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 63 - Cell 2
65Gianfranco Zilioli (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 64 - Cell 2
66Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Stˆlting Service Group0:01:52
67Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff TeamRow 66 - Cell 2
68Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 67 - Cell 2
69Rafael Andriato (Bra) Wilier Southeast0:02:34
70Manuel Belletti (Ita) Wilier SoutheastRow 69 - Cell 2
71Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 70 - Cell 2
72Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJRow 71 - Cell 2
73Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange0:02:35
74Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro TeamRow 73 - Cell 2
75Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Lampre - MeridaRow 74 - Cell 2
76Ricardo Vilela (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA0:02:55
77Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team0:03:28
78Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 77 - Cell 2
79Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 78 - Cell 2
80Salvatore Puccio (Ita) ItalyRow 79 - Cell 2
81Matteo Fabbro (Ita) ItalyRow 80 - Cell 2
82Jon Irisarri (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 81 - Cell 2
DNFDario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 82 - Cell 2
DNFMiguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro TeamRow 83 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 84 - Cell 2
DNFIlia Koshevoy (Blr) Lampre - MeridaRow 85 - Cell 2
DNFJan Polanc (Slo) Lampre - MeridaRow 86 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Albasini (Swi) Orica-BikeExchangeRow 87 - Cell 2
DNFMitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchangeRow 88 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff TeamRow 89 - Cell 2
DNFManuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 90 - Cell 2
DNFRoman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff TeamRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFSergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Tinkoff TeamRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFLorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFAdrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Dimension DataRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFNatnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension DataRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFOmar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Dimension DataRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFSerge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension DataRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFJaco Venter (RSA) Dimension DataRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFDayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar TeamRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFJorge Arcas Pena (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFCarlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Movistar TeamRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFJonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFAndrey Amador Bikkazakova (CRc) Movistar TeamRow 103 - Cell 2
DNFJuan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 104 - Cell 2
DNFOdd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJRow 105 - Cell 2
DNFAlexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFJérémy Maison (Fra) FDJRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFSteve Morabito (Swi) FDJRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFMoreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale-DrapacRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFAndre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por) Cannondale-DrapacRow 110 - Cell 2
DNFToms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale-DrapacRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFJohannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 112 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFFredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFSindre Skjoestad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFMartijn Tusveld (Ned)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFDanilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing TeamRow 117 - Cell 2
DNFBrent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing TeamRow 118 - Cell 2
DNFTaylor Eisenhart (USA) BMC Racing TeamRow 119 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 120 - Cell 2
DNFMirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 121 - Cell 2
DNFAlessio Taliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 122 - Cell 2
DNFRodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 123 - Cell 2
DNFSerghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 124 - Cell 2
DNFSimone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 125 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 126 - Cell 2
DNFJulen Amezqueta (Spa) Wilier SoutheastRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFMatteo Busato (Ita) Wilier SoutheastRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Fedi (Ita) Wilier SoutheastRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFAlessandro Bisolti (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 130 - Cell 2
DNFGrega Bole (Slo) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 131 - Cell 2
DNFPier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 132 - Cell 2
DNFYuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 133 - Cell 2
DNFEduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 134 - Cell 2
DNFGenki Yamamoto (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 135 - Cell 2
DNFMoritz Backofen (Ger)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFAlex Kirsch (Lux) Stˆlting Service GroupRow 137 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Koep (Ger) Stˆlting Service GroupRow 138 - Cell 2
DNFSven Reutter (Ger) Stˆlting Service GroupRow 139 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 140 - Cell 2
DNFEduard Prades Reverte (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 141 - Cell 2
DNFJaime Roson Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 142 - Cell 2
DNFShane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18Row 143 - Cell 2
DNFPhil Bauhaus (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 144 - Cell 2
DNFCesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18Row 145 - Cell 2
DNFZakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18Row 146 - Cell 2
DNFLukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18Row 147 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 148 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Pasqualon (Ita) Team RothRow 149 - Cell 2
DNFNicolas Baldo (Fra) Team RothRow 150 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Belda Garcia (Spa) Team RothRow 151 - Cell 2
DNFColin Stüssi (Swi) Team RothRow 152 - Cell 2
DNFRoland Thalmann (Swi) Team RothRow 153 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Vaccher (Ita) Team RothRow 154 - Cell 2
DNFRoman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 155 - Cell 2
DNFIgor Boev (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 156 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Kolobnev (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 157 - Cell 2
DNFArtem Nych (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 158 - Cell 2
DNFEvgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 159 - Cell 2
DNFAndrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom-RusveloRow 160 - Cell 2
DNFJens Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 161 - Cell 2
DNFEliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 162 - Cell 2
DNFJarl Salomein (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 163 - Cell 2
DNFOtto Vergaerde (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - BaloiseRow 164 - Cell 2
DNFJulien El Fares (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 165 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Diaz (Arg) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 166 - Cell 2
DNFLeonardo Fabio Duque (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 167 - Cell 2
DNFDelio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 168 - Cell 2
DNFJavier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 169 - Cell 2
DNFStephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo NordiskRow 170 - Cell 2
DNFJoonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo NordiskRow 171 - Cell 2
DNFBrian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo NordiskRow 172 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 173 - Cell 2
DNFCharles Planet (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 174 - Cell 2
DNFChristopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo NordiskRow 175 - Cell 2
DNFJan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 176 - Cell 2
DNFMarcin Mrozek (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 177 - Cell 2
DNFLukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 178 - Cell 2
DNFSylwester Szmyd (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 179 - Cell 2
DNFElia Viviani (Ita) ItalyRow 180 - Cell 2
DNFJacopo Guarnieri (Ita) ItalyRow 181 - Cell 2
DNFIvan Santaromita (Ita) ItalyRow 182 - Cell 2
DNFJure Golcer (Slo) Adria MobilRow 183 - Cell 2
DNFJon Bozic (Slo) Adria MobilRow 184 - Cell 2
DNFMatej Drinovec (Slo) Adria MobilRow 185 - Cell 2
DNFGasper Katrasnik (Slo) Adria MobilRow 186 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Per (Slo) Adria MobilRow 187 - Cell 2
DNFRadoslav Rogina (Cro) Adria MobilRow 188 - Cell 2
DNFGian Marco Di Francesco (Ita) Norda - Mg. K VisRow 189 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Gaffurini (Ita) Norda - Mg. K VisRow 190 - Cell 2
DNFMichele Scartezzini (Ita) Norda - Mg. K VisRow 191 - Cell 2
DNFPaolo Totò (Ita) Norda - Mg. K VisRow 192 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Cacciotti (Ita) Unieuro WilierRow 193 - Cell 2
DNFEnrico Salvador (Ita) Unieuro WilierRow 194 - Cell 2
DNFAlex Turrin (Ita) Unieuro WilierRow 195 - Cell 2

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Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is an NCTJ-trained journalist, and former deputy editor of Cyclingnews, who has seven years’ experience covering professional cycling. He has a modern languages degree from Durham University and has been able to put it to some use in what is a multi-lingual sport, with a particular focus on French and Spanish-speaking riders. Away from cycling, Patrick spends most of his time playing or watching other forms of sport - football, tennis, trail running, darts, to name a few, but he draws the line at rugby.


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