New Zealander Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) clipped away from a small front group on the final ascent of the Giro del Veneto to claim victory in a rain-soaked edition of the late-season Italian Classic.
Second in the 165.3 kilometre 1.Pro event was Xandro Meurisse (Deceuninck-Alpecin), with Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) in third.
The very hilly late-season race came down to the final kilometre grinding ascent in Vicenza, where Strong surged away from a group of some 20 riders close to the line for the fourth win of his career.
The all-conquering UAE Team Emirates had done their utmost to control the rugged one-day race, working for pre-race favourite Marc Hirschi and bringing back one break after another. But despite Jay Vine's best efforts in the closing kilometres, Strong's late move proved too powerful to match.
"I did this one last year and it was a perfect finish for me," Strong, who showed good form in the Gran Piemonte when he led the chase group home behind lone winner Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), said afterwards.
"I've been motivated to finish the season strong and it feels really good to get the win today.
"It was a technical finish, one I got completely wrong last year, but my team did a great job and I was really hungry to get a result. I got a little bit boxed in but I had the confidence to go long, go early and it paid off in the end."
How it unfolded
Not even a grey, damp day in north-eastern Italy and the imminent prospect of the end of the season could discourage seven riders - Kevin Pezzo (General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), Davide Baldaccini (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Adne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), German Dario Gómez (Polti-Kometa), Ben Granger (Mg.K Vis - Colors for Peace) and former Canadian National Champion Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5) - from opening up hostilities in this year's Giro del Veneto.
Milesi's early enthusiasm reached the unluckiest of setbacks, however, when he soon crashed and abandoned. But the remaining six pressed on and they still held an advantage of nearly two minutes as they approached the 15-kilometre, very hilly finishing circuit for the first time and spots of rain began to fall.
Following a pronounced acceleration in the peloton, the six-rider break tried to respond by picking up speed. But it promptly began to crumble thanks to its own raised impetus and some 48 kilometres from the finish the last survivors were reeled in.
Even so and despite some brief test moves, the steadily worsening weather, and a demanding course, when the crunch moments of the finale approached an unusually large pack of some 70 or 80 riders still remained in the mix for the win.
Perhaps thanks to the sizeable pack, one brief dig by Remy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ) between the two ascents of Monte Berico and Torre Arcugnano failed to gain traction. Then when Marcel Camprubi (36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè) launched similar surprise moves and gained a handful of seconds on the flatter part of the circuit they both met an identical fate.
Despite the evident volatility inside the bunch, the presence of expert UAE racers Diego Ulissi and Jay Vine on the front each time a break needed chasing down indicated the shape of things to come. Finally, 28 kilometres from the line, one of the top favourites, UAE teammate Marc Hirschi made enough of an effort to carve out a 14-rider group on the front.
A driving surge by Italian veteran Gianluca Brambilla (Q36.5) from out of that large break looked more promising, but the final ascent of the Berico climb put paid to Brambilla's effort as Vine stepped up to the plate yet again.
The Australian's repeated efforts then proved an effective launchpad for the most dangerous-looking attack of the race finale, when Hirschi accelerated on the much gentler Torre Arcugnano ascent with 11 kilometres to go and Filippo Zana (Jayco AIUIa), Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) subsequently came across.
However, as soon as the quartet gained even the smallest of gaps, their failure to collaborate allowed first Tobias Halland Johannessen (UNo-X-Mobility) to latch on behind and this culminated in the umpteenth remerging of the front pack of some 20 riders. When Hirschi pressed on, his solo bid to put his 2024 win tally into 10 digits was swiftly ended.
Four kilometres from the finish Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè) tried his best, only for the rising speed as the kilometre-long ascent to the line approached to extinguish his challenge.
Israel-Premier Tech kept the pace just high enough to ensure that Strong could power off almost unchallenged with about 400 metres to go, and they did an impressive job. Then although Meurisse and Gregoire were both quick to react, on the line the 24-year-old still had enough of a gap to raise his arms more than a bike-length clear of his closest opponents.
The final race of the European season, the very hilly Veneto Classic will be held on Sunday in nearby Bassano del Grappa, with Strong part of the peloton again.
"It's a bit of a different race, and if it rains it'll be a filthy one with the gravel [sections] at the finish. I don't know if I'm looking forward to it as much after such a successful race today, but it'll be a nice one to finish off the season."
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