Martin wins Il Lombardia
Valverde second and Costa third
Garmin-Sharp's Dan Martin timed his late attack to perfection to win the Tour of Lombardia. The Irishman was part of a stellar break that formed on the descent of the Bergamo Alta and attacked inside the final kilometre to win ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and former world champion Rui Costa (Lampre Merida).
For Martin, who had crashed out of a number of major races this year, and even took a tumble in Lombardia 12 months ago, it was a moment to savour, with the Irishman building up enough time to lift his arms in celebration as he crossed the line.
The win signified Martin’s second Monument, adding to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège title in 2013. His win in Lombardia was just as clinical and he once again owed much to his teammates – notably Ryder Hesjedal - who buried himself in the final of the race as the peloton sought to bring back a dangerous pairing of Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) and Ben Hermans (BMC Racing).
The duo was caught on the slopes of the final climb with the main contenders vying for position at the front of the bunch. It was Tim Wellens (Lotto Belisol) who took the early initiative with a daring move but he was quickly caught by a rampaging Philippe Gilbert (BMC), who led across a group contain Martin.
The Irishman was, however, able to bridge to the leaders on the descent and as Gilbert’s teammate Samuel Sanchez led the group that contained Valverde, Costa, Fabio Aru (Astana), Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) and defending champion Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Martin ghosted to the back of the group.
Sanchez’s pace setting briefly eased as he checked back to catch Gilbert’s position, and the moment of hesitation was all Martin needed as he kicked clear.
Valverde and Gilbert exchanged glances with neither willing to sacrifice their chances. It was all Martin needed, his only obstacles remaining, the final corners before the line.
“I love this race, it’s one of my favourite races,” Martin said at the line. “To get second and crash in the last corner last year, it’s incredible to win it after all the bad luck this year. Last week I felt good and I crashed again. I believed, and the team believed, in me all the way, that the luck would change and we would get the big victory.”
In victory, Martin can look back at an overall successful of season. Second in La Flèche Wallonne may have been followed by bitterly disappointing outings in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro d’Italia due to crashes but he has shown dogged determination in the second half of the season, with seventh at the Vuelta a España reaffirming confidence in his Grand Tour aspirations and this Lombardia win adding to his impressive palmares.
As for Valverde, another second place this season was at least enough to give him the lead in the WorldTour rankings with just the Tour of Beijing remaining. His nearest rival, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), dropped to second after he was eliminated on the final climb.
A new start for Lombardia
A new course for one of cycling’s most established and respected races saw the peloton limber up in Como on Sunday morning. Unlike last year, the sun was out, the autumn temperatures offering the perfect send off as riders closed out their European campaigns.
Among them, Cadel Evans (BMC), who was joined at the start by his infant son for the Australian’s final race as a professional rider in Europe.
There was little time for ceremony and nostalgia as the race headed towards the Madonna del Ghisallo. In previous years the location had been positioned closer to the finish but this time around the early break had already formed as the race passed with Tiziano Dall'Antonio (Androni Giocattoli), Francesco Gavazzi (Astana), Jeremy Roy (FDJ), Jan Polanc (Lampre-Merida), Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo), Sergio Paulinho (Tinkoff-Saxo), Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Colombia), Paul Voss (NetApp-Endura), Angelo Pagani (Bardiani-CSF) and Mathias Brändle (IAM Cycling) building up a lead in excess of eight minutes.
With 80 kilometres of racing remaining and barely a metre of flat road between the break and the finish, the gap had been reduced to four minutes.
Remaining were a set of decisive climbs with Passo di Ganda snapping the elastic as a number of riders from the initial break began to struggle.
When the peloton reached the climb a few minutes later the whittling down in the main field began with Philip Deignan (Team Sky) among a number of riders who raised the tempo with a darting attack.
Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural), however, was the only man to make his move stick and as he effortlessly scythed through the stragglers from the early break with just Paulinho, Fedi, Chavez and Polanc remaining ahead.
Back in the bunch, a slow but important selection process had begun to take shape. A counter attack including Pieter Weening, Bauke Mollema, Ben Hermans, Jeremy Roy, Txurruka, Chavez, and Mickaël Chérel had linked up. They sat 1:50 behind the two leaders with the peloton roughly a minute back, and the Berbenno climb looming.
With Paulinho on the offensive his team was able to take a backseat as Katusha, Movistar and Omega Pharma-QuickStep set about controlling the race.
Polanc, who rode strongly in last month’s WorldTour race in Montreal, made contact with the two leaders before Hermans, Weening and Chérel made it across.
As the gradient rose on the Berbenno, Weening applied enough pressure to distance all but Hermans and as the pair descended they held a slender 13-second lead over the field.
Leopold König (NetApp-Endura) jumped from the peloton on the descent and his presence gave the break new impetus but he was distanced with a cramp – as was world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep). Hesjedal buried himself with a huge turn on the front as the peloton approached the final climb.
Hermans and Weening were duly caught on the lower slopes, just as Wellens powered clear. Gilbert was the first to match his countryman but by the time he made contact the leaders were already approaching the descent.
Sanchez took over as the leading group raced towards the line. At the back of the group sat Martin, laying in wait for the moment to pounce. When it arrived, he leapt into action and while those around him hesitated, he demonstrated panache and timing to take the win.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp | 6:25:33 |
2 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:00:01 |
3 | Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida | |
4 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
5 | Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | |
6 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica Greenedge | |
7 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
8 | Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha | |
9 | Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
10 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:14 |
11 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
12 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol | 0:00:18 |
13 | Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:00:20 |
14 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:00:25 |
15 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Cannondale | |
16 | Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale | |
17 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
18 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team NetApp - Endura | |
19 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
20 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica Greenedge | |
21 | André Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp | |
22 | Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:30 |
23 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:00:31 |
24 | Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:42 |
25 | Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:46 |
26 | Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
27 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
28 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar | |
29 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
30 | Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
31 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | 0:00:54 |
32 | Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
33 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp | 0:00:58 |
34 | Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
35 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:01:05 |
36 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:01:16 |
37 | Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:21 |
38 | Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:01:27 |
39 | Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:34 |
40 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida | |
41 | David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
42 | Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Lampre-Merida | |
43 | Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
44 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:01:44 |
45 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:01:46 |
46 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:06 |
47 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
48 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica Greenedge | 0:02:37 |
49 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica Greenedge | 0:02:42 |
50 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:21 |
51 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol | 0:03:52 |
52 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky | |
53 | Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia | |
54 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Cannondale | |
55 | Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia | |
56 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia | |
57 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
58 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
59 | Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida | |
60 | Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:04:02 |
61 | Francesco Failli (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
62 | Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
63 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
64 | Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:04:04 |
65 | David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team NetApp - Endura | 0:04:12 |
66 | José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (Por) Team NetApp - Endura | |
67 | Leopold Konig (Cze) Team NetApp - Endura | 0:04:14 |
68 | Antonio Parrinello (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:04:15 |
69 | Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
70 | Simone Ponzi (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
71 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:07:09 |
72 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
73 | Johann Tschopp (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
74 | Andrea Fedi (Ita) Yellow Fluo | 0:07:13 |
75 | Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:09:40 |
76 | Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:09:42 |
77 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
78 | Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
79 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale | |
80 | Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale | |
81 | Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
82 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:12:15 |
83 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp - Endura | |
84 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:12:47 |
85 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:13:12 |
86 | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:13:34 |
87 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Belisol | 0:14:58 |
88 | Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky | |
89 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
90 | Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:17:09 |
91 | Antonio Piedra Perez (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
92 | Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling | |
93 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Garmin Sharp | |
94 | Alessio Taliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:18:25 |
95 | Gianfranco Zilioli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Alberto Losada Alguacil (Esp) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Tiziano Dall'antonia (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Carlos Galviz (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Yonder Godoy (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
DNF | Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
DNF | Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
DNF | Angelo Pagani (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
DNF | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani-CSF | |
DNF | Stef Clement (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Martijn Keizer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | David Tanner (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Tejay Van Garderen (Usa) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Lawrence Warbasse (Usa) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Esp) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Karol Domagalski (Pol) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Luis Mas Bonet (Esp) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
DNF | Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | Edward Fabian Diaz Cardenas (Col) Colombia | |
DNF | Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia | |
DNF | Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia | |
DNF | Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia | |
DNF | Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia | |
DNF | Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | Jonathan Fumeaux (Sui) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Jérôme Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Patrick Schelling (Sui) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Rafael Valls Ferri (Esp) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Dayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Rafael Andriato (Bra) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Fabio Taborre (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Wouter Poels (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Daryl Impey (Rsa) Orica Greenedge | |
DNF | Christian Meier (Can) Orica Greenedge | |
DNF | Adam Yates (Gbr) Orica Greenedge | |
DNF | Simon Yates (Gbr) Orica Greenedge | |
DNF | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Lawson Craddock (Usa) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Ralf Matzka (Ger) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky | |
DNF | Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky | |
DNF | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
DNF | David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Team Sky | |
DNF | Ben Swift (Gbr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Julian David Arredondo Moreno (Col) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing |
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