Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) claimed his fifth one-day race victory of the season, this one in the Giro della Toscana - Memorial Alfredo Martini on Wednesday.
The Mexican rider, who finished second in the Giro d'Italia, soloed away on the Monte Serra with 27 kilometres to go and held off a small chasing group.
"“It was the team’s plan to try something today, but we knew it wouldn’t be easy. But my teammates did a great job from the start, and then in the finale I felt good and I tried the move that allowed me to win. I’m very happy," Del Toro told organisers at the finish.
"When I found myself alone in the lead, I just thought about pushing, and I knew I could do it. Tomorrow? Tomorrow at the Coppa Sabatini, we’ll see what happens."
The 189.4-kilometre race around Pontedera went off in two phases: a drizzly first half with a five-man breakaway, and a drier closing section that included two trips over Monte Serra before a flat run-in to the finish.
The early breakaway came from Tyler Stites (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), Sam Brand (Novo Nordisk), Nil Gimeno (Kern Pharma) and Mattia Bais (Polti-VisitMalta). They gained just over three minutes. Stites, Gimeno and Brand lost contact on the first ascent of the Monte Serra with 90km to go.
The gap to the two remaining leaders was below a minute when Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar) bridged across but the breakaway was caught with 31km to go.
On the second ascent of the Monte Serra, the already much-reduced peloton shrunk further as Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Michael Storer (Tudor) attacked on the Monte SErra with 30.5km to go. They were joined by Paul Double (Jayco-AlUla) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) but it was short-lived.
Once the remainder of the group rejoined, Storer attacked. Soon, Del Toro bridged across, chased again by Carapaz and Double.
The four came together, but just before the summit, Del Toro attacked and left the other three behind. Carapaz chased alone at 15 seconds with Storer in a group at 40 seconds with 10km to go.
There was only one small unclassified climb between Del Toro and his 11th win of the season, and the Mexican only added to his advantage as the road tilted upward.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Marion Norbert Riberolle disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after a crash in elite women's race at UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Belgian champion strikes Czechia champion after the two collide on second half of race, then Norbert Riberolle later taken to hospital -
'Mad at myself' for crashing in elite women's Cyclo-cross Worlds race, Brand stays calm to hold off Dutch rival for second title
World Cup leader finds strength this winter after personal tragedy, 'I'm not really distraught from the things that happen around me' -
'I think I can be really proud' – Puck Pieterse recovers from mid-race crash to win another bronze medal at the Cyclo-cross World Championships
23-year-old rounds out 'cross season strongly as part of Dutch podium sweep on home ground in Hulst -
Thibau Nys departs team hotel to avoid sickness that caused four Belgian teammates to withdraw from Cyclo-cross World Championships on Saturday
Kay De Bruyckere misses U23 men's race in Hulst as Belgian rider at hospital with severe illness
