Giovanni Lonardi wins Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana

Giovanni Lonardi (Eolo-Kometa) won the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969, the first race of the new European road season. The Italian unleashed a powerful sprint to beat Amaury Capiot (Arkéa-Samsic) into second place in a bunch finish in Valencia, while Chris Lawless (Team TotalEnergies) took third.

It was Lonardi’s first outing in the colours of Eolo-Kometa since he joined from Bardiani-CSF this winter and his tenure began in the brightest possible fashion on a grey and drizzly afternoon on the Costa Blanca, where winter has not yet given way to spring.

As was the case a year ago, the route lent itself to a bunch sprint, with the hilly opening followed by a flat and fast run-in to the finish in Valencia. So it proved, though the rapid finale was marred by a brace of crashes in the peloton, including one in the finishing straight that ended the challenge of pre-race favourite Niccolò Bonifazio (Team TotalEnergies).

That tumble left Bonifazio’s teammate Lawless little choice but to try his own luck in the sprint with an effort from distance and the Briton’s fine turn of speed saw him hit the front inside the final 200 metres.

Lonardi had been expertly piloted by Eolo-Kometa in the closing stages, however, and he dived for Lawless’ wheel before coming past within sight of the line. Capiot battled to get back on terms, but he had to settle for second place as Lonardi claimed a decisive victory, the fourth of his professional career, to the delight of manager Alberto Contador, who immortalised the moment with a selfie beyond the finish line.

The 175km race was animated by an nine-man break that forged clear shortly after the start in La Nucia as the route brought the peloton towards the Coll de Rates, scene of one of Tadej Pogačar’s pre-season feats of strength.

The ascent is all too familiar to the many riders who have made the Costa Blanca their winter training base, and it was a neo-professional, the impressive Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) who was first to the top here.

Dujardin was joined in the early move by Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies), Xabier Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Alessandro Verre (Team Arkéa-Samsic), Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF Faizanè), Eugenio Sanchez (Equipo Kern Pharma), Roger Adriá (Equipo Kern Pharma), Daniel Hoyos (Electro Hiper Europa-Caldas) and Marton Dina (Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team), but although they combined smoothly, their advantage over the peloton was never permitted to extend beyond two minutes.

Burgos-BH and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA had missed the move, and they performed the bulk of the pace-making behind as rain fell gently over the hinterland of Valencia for the early part of the afternoon.

The terrain and the weather became more amenable as the day progressed, while the racing grew more intense. The escapees still held a lead of 1:30 over the bunch as they enter the final 50km, but the unity of the move was beginning to fragment.

Inside the final 40km, Dujardin, Verre and Adriá clipped away from the rest of the break, and this trio put up spirited resistance as the chase grew more urgent behind. They still had almost a minute in hand as they approach the final 20km, but a sharp acceleration in the bunch put paid to their rally, and they were clawed back with a little under 10km remaining.

A bunch finish was inevitable by that point on, particularly now that TotalEnergies could hit the front to discourage any late attacks. Although the early rain had abated by the time the peloton hit the streets of Valencia, early-season nervousness was still on show, as exhibited by the pair of crashes in the finale. The first came with 4km remaining and the second, inside the last kilometre, put paid to Bonifazio’s chances, but there was no argument about Lonardi’s sprint.

Arkéa-Samsic had been prominent on behalf of Capiot on the approach to the flamme rouge, but a delegation from Eolo-Kometa took up the reins inside the final kilometre, piloting Lonardi into position. Lonardi avoided the crash within sight of the line and then produced a well-time effort to score victory ahead of Capiot and Lawless.