Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Tre Valli Varesine, one of the most important one-day races in Italy, that kicks of this final week of professional racing in the Bel Paese.
As we join the action, there are 100km left to race.
The riders face a total distance of 193km, with 77km covered on a loop out of the city before nine laps of a rolling 12km circuit.
This is the 97th edition of the Tre Valli Varesine and the race has attracted a star-studded line-up, including Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb).
You can find a full start list by clicking here
As we pick up the action, six riders have formed the early break of the day.
The six attackers are: Turek (Israel Academy), Tonelli (Bardiano-CSF), Nych (Gazprom Rusvelo), Rubio (Caja Rural), Carlini (D'Amico Utensilnord) and Bernardinetti (Amore&Vita).
The Bahrain-Merida team initially chased down the early attacks but let this move go clear. Their lead reached six minutes and then nine minutes before Team Sunweb began to lead the chase.
The pace has been high so far, with an average speed of 45,050 km/h for the first two hours of racing.
The race is now onto the circuits in Varese and face a further eight laps up and down from Lake Varese to the city centre.
Sadly Sebastien Reichenbach (FDJ) crashed earlier in the race and has been taken to hospital for treatment.
The peloton is lined out as it chases the break of the day. Bahrain and Sunweb are still leading the chase as they study the Varese circuit.
Team Sky is also helping with the chase at the head of the peloton.
Tram Sky has placed three riders on the front, with Rosa, Puccio and Wisniowski doing the hard work for Moscon, Poels and Kwaitkowski.
Team Sky has lined out at the front of the peloton, with Bahrain and Sunweb tucked in behind them.
The gap is down to 4:30 as the riders dive through the fields west of Varese.
The sun is out in Varese, with temperatures over 20C making for a perfect day for racing.
The break passes through the feed zone and heads to the finish area.
This year's route includes a loop through Piazza Montegrappa in the centre of Varese. It will be a key point of the race on the final circuits.
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) is also in action today. He's tucked safely in the peloton for now.
The peloton passes through the finish area and sprints away at high speed. The race is on.
British champion Steve Cummings leads Dimension Data's hopes today. He's still near the back but will most likely move up to the front soon.
The lead of the break is falling fast as the speed increases behind.
We have several attacks from the peloton.
But Sky and Sunweb chase them down.
Several teams clearly want to spark a hard, selective race to make the sprinters suffer on the rolling circuit.
Italian national champion Fabio Aru is also in action today and will also ride Milano-Torino and Saturday's Il Lombardia.
He played down his chances and again avoided revealing future team despite being widely linked to UAE Team Emirates.
"I'm going to give my best despite not being 100% after a long, hard season, where I've had to fight back several times," he said.
Tom Dumoulin was happy to be back racing in Italy.
"It's great to be back in Italy. I was here in Italy for a holiday in July but it's nice to be back racing again," the Giro d'Italia winner said.
However after a brief pause, there are more attacks.
Meanwhile, upfront, Turek has split the six-rider break, cutting it to just three.
With Turek up front are Tonelli and Rubio.
There are more attacks from the peloton too, with Sebastian Henao on the move for Team Sky.
58km remaining from 192km
The peloton is lined out behind the attacks but the elastic has yet to break.
Turek, Rubio and Tonelli are working together to extend their lead on the rest of the six-rider break.
Behind other riders are on the attack. They want to perhaps go up the road before the final attacks are made.
It is Petilli on the move for UAE now.
The rolling Varese circuit is hurting the riders, with Rubio putting the hurt on his friends in the break.
51km remaining from 192km
The riders top a climb just a kilometre from the finish, where teams have created a feed zone to hand up bottles on each lap.
The break hits the finish with four 12.5km laps to go.
The peloton is only a minute or so back.
Three chasers have emerged from the peloton but are struggling to go across to the break.
Behind Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) and Thibaut Pibot (FDJ) are also on the move.
The leaves have started to fall in Italy and so it can only mean the end of the Euro racing season.
Today riders are in action in Varese, on Thursday they will fight for success at Milano-Torino and then Saturday' is the big one: Il Lombardia.
This week also see racing in Belgium, Germany and France, with Paris-Tours coming 24 hours after Il Lombardia.
43km remaining from 192km
Bahrain has taken control of the peloton to reduce the effect of the attacks.
Gasparotto is leading the peloton with Colbrelli on his wheel. This could perhaps mean that Bahrain is riding for Nibali today.
41km remaining from 192km
Turek, Rubio and Tonelli are still out front but their lead is down to 45 seconds.
Turek, Rubio and Tonelli are still out front but their lead is down to 45 seconds.
A trio of Latour (AG2R), Redi Halilaj (Amore e Vita) and Carlos Verona (Orica-Scott) are about to catch them.
Poels kicks again, with Visconti chasing him. Other riders are following him.
Poels is pulled back but other riders are on the attack.
Maison of FDJ, Masnada of Androni and a third rider are trying to go across to the break.
The peloton prefers to let them go on this downhill section before upping the speed in the climb back to the finish of the12.5km circuit.
Visconti is driving a group of seven but Cannondale is closing the gap for Uran.
However Cannondale have a rider with Visconti.
Strangely the peloton has sat up. They big teams seem to be playing bluff with each other but they could lose the race unless a serious chase begins.
There are two chase groups behind the attack of five riders. They are spread across a minute but could be a threat if they come together.
Masnada has split his chase group, dropping Maison and Pawel Poljanski.
He can see the break up the road but he has fresh legs for the final 20km.
18km remaining from 192km
Poljanski and Masnada make it across to the break.
This move could stay away but there is another chase group behind them.
About 20 seconds further back is the main peloton with all the big-name contenders.
Bahrain is leading the chase with Sky also up there.
Verona has attacked alone as the road climbs but is alone as the other riders in the break struggle to chase him.
Behind the peloton has swept up the second chase group.
Bahrain is setting a high pace and could pull the race all back together.
Visconti and Gasparotto are doing the hard work for Bahrain.
The riders are on the hard climb back up to Varese.
Verona is on the big ring but the break can see him.
12km remaining from 192km
Verona passes through the finish and can hear the bell ring to signal the last lap.
The break is only 20 seconds back, with the peloton only 35 seconds down.
All the big names are still in the peloton, including Aru, Dumoulin, Quintana and Nibali.
If the race cones back together, it could suit sprinters such as Colbrelli but also Matthews of Sunweb.
UAE and Sky are also there in numbers. As are Cannondale.
The peloton is about to sweep up the break. Only Verona is out front now.
However the Bahrain pace has cracked Colbrelli. They will have to ride for Nibali now and hope he can attack on the final climb.
Visconti has done a huge turn to bring the race back together.
Verona is caught.
Visconti is still on the front, keeping the front group lined out at speed.
Henao moves up with Moscon on his wheel. Matthews is still there for Sunweb.
Now Formolo does a huge turn for his Cannondale teammates. He heads to Bora in 2018 but wants to do his bit for his current team in his final races.
The riders are on the descent to the lake shore and then the climb up to Varese will decide the race.
Visconti hits the front again with veteran and former winner Albasini (Orica).
Boom! Nibali attacks!
Pinot tries to go with him, as does Aru but they're struggling.
Nbali and Pinot have a gap on Aru.
It could be enough as Pinot helps Nibali.
Moscon goes alone in pursuit of the two.
But they follow Moscon and then a Cannondale rider jumps away.
The chasers are about to catch Nibali and Pinot.
Pinot is tired and so struggles to help Nibali.
Now Ulissi is coming across.
Geniez of AG2R is with him.
Watch for an Ulissi attack.
Pinot leads it out and three riders finish together.
It seems Geniez gets it from Pinot and Nibali.
Allez les Francais!
Ulissi finished fourth after failing to join Nibali and Pinot.
Geniez managed to get across and win the sprint with a late kick to the line.
Geniez beat Pinot by half a wheel with Nibali at less than a bike length.
David Vilella of Cannondale was fifth a few seconds back.
Geniez won a stage at the 2016 Vuelta a Espana but was pulled for this year's race by his team after he and Nico Denz were filmed hanging onto a AG2R team car.
Geniez was happy to win Tre Valli Varesine.
“It’s a great feeling to win a race like this at the end of the season,” Geniez said.
“We looked at the start list this morning and realised it’s a real race, but we said we wanted to win it.”
Geniez was withdrawn from the Vuelta a Espana after being filmed hanging onto a AG2R team car.
It later emerged that Team Sky shot the video from the team car. However a team spokesperson told Cyclingnews that Team Sky did not forward the video to the commissaries or file an official complaint.
This is the top ten result for the Tre Valli Varesine.
1 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 04:49:08
2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
4 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
5 Davide Viella (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 00:00:07
6 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb
7 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky
8 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana
9 Daniel Felipe Martinez (Col) Wilier Triestina 00:00:17
10 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-Scott 00:00:18
The race split several times with groups going off the front and catching the early break. However Bahrain-Merida brought the race back together on the last lap and then Vincenzo Nibali made a strong attack on the final climb back up to the centre of Varese.
This is one of the first images of the Geniez, Nibali, Pinot sprint that decided the Tre Valli Varesine.
to see our full photo gallery, and race report, click here.
Thanks for joining us for live coverage from the Tre Valli Varesine.
Join us on Thursday for live coverage of Milano-Torino and then on Saturday for full live coverage of Il Lombardia.
For a full preview to final races in Europe, click here.
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