Andrea Bagioli (Team Colpack) wins Il Piccolo Lombardia ahead of Clément Champoussin (Chámbery Cyclisme Formation)(Image credit: Rodella / Team Colpack)
The final podium (L-R): Clément Champoussin, Andrea Bagioli, and Mattia Petrucci (Groupama-FDJ Continental)(Image credit: Rodella / Team Colpack)
Future Deceuninck-QuickStep rider Andrea Bagioli won Il Piccolo Lombardia on Sunday, triumphing from a two-man attack that launched 8km from the finish in Oggiogno. The Team Colpack rider has already signed a deal with the Belgian squad for 2020, with Lombardia his farewell race for his current team.
Bagioli, who rode as a stagiaire for UAE Team Emirates in 2018, was part of an elite group of four riders who emerged on the Muro dell'Alpino climb 23km from the finish. Five men made it across in the following kilometres, but on the final climb of the Marconaga di Ello, Bagioli struck out once again.
Clement Champoussin (Chambéry Cyclisme Formation) was the only rider able to match the 20-year-old, while Bagioli saved his energy on the run-in to the line, before easily dispatching the Frenchman in the sprint for the line.
"I'm happy. Il Piccolo Lombardia was my big goal at the end of the season and in the last period I worked towards this goal," said Bagioli after the finish.
"It's a prestigious win and I wanted to do well to say goodbye to Team Colpack in the best possible way, and thank you to President Beppe Colleoni, my teammates and all the staff for these beautiful years spent together.
Bagioli has spent the past two years at Colpack, finishing runner-up at the race last year, as well as taking second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Espoirs. Sunday's race is the ninth victory of his 2019 season, which has included two stage wins and the overall at the Ronde de l'Isard and a stage win at the Giro della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc.
His two-year deal with Deceuninck-QuickStep was announced back in July, with team CEO Patrick Lefevere saying that they "do everything that we can to sign" riders with his qualities, and that the team had been monitoring Bagioli for some time.
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"I'm over the moon," said Bagioli in July. "It's a dream come true! It was my goal to be a professional rider and knowing that I will be part of the Wolfpack is fantastic."
Bagioli will join his older brother Nicola in the pro ranks next season, with 24-year-old Nicola moving from the folding Nippo-Vini Fantini team to Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec at the end of the season.
Team Colpack, which was founded in 2011, has been something of a talent factory since its inception, as numerous riders have made the step up to the WorldTour and Pro Continental levels.
Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Simone Consonni (UAE Team Emirates), Mark Padun (Bahrain-Merida), Davide Villella (Astana Pro Team) and current Deceuninck-QuickStep rider Davide Martinelli all raced with Colpack at U23 level.
Bagioli won't be the only rider from the team to move on from the team in 2020, as 20-year-old Alessandro Covi will ride for UAE Team Emirates for the next two seasons.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor, later being hired full-time. Her favourite races include Strade Bianche, the Tour de France Femmes, Paris-Roubaix, and Tro-Bro Léon.
