Bauke Mollema solos to victory in Trofeo Laigueglia
Bernal out-sprints Vansevenant for second
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) claimed victory at the Trofeo Laigueglia after he soloed clear of an elite group on the Capo Mele with 15km remaining and then maintained his advantage over the stiff ascent to Colla Micheri. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mauri Vansevenant (Deceuninck-QuickStep) led the chasing group home at 42 seconds.
Bernal had been among the chief animators of the race on four breathless laps of the finishing circuit on the Ligurian coast, and his fierce acceleration on the penultimate time up Colla Micheri had helped to tee up the day’s decisive move.
The impressive Clément Champoussin (AG2R Citroën Team) was the only rider who could match Bernal’s tempo on the ascent, but Mollema was part of a determined cadre of chasers who bridged across following the sinuous descent, together with teammate Giulio Ciccone, Vansevenant, Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Biniam Girmay (Delko) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ).
As the leaders left the seafront in Andora, Mollema sensed his opportunity and he powered his way clear on the shallow slopes of the Capo Mele. The initial hesitation in the chasing group allowed him to build a lead of 25 seconds by the foot of the final haul up to Colla Micheri, and he kept his gear turning over all the way up its steep slopes.
Behind, Bernal was once again aggressive on the climb but although his initial acceleration stung, he was unable to rid himself of his companions, with Landa, Champoussin, Vansevenant and, eventually, Ciccone, bridging back up to him. By the summit, they had cut Mollema’s advantage to 17 seconds, but the Dutchman’s lead extended thereafter, with Ciccone policing the chasers all the way to the finish.
Mollema made light work of the final drag over the Capo Mele to solo to his second win of the season, following his victory on the opening day of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var. The 2019 Tour of Lombardy winner will line out at Strade Bianche on Saturday, while he is also set to ride the Giro d’Italia alongside Ciccone and Vincenzo Nibali.
“It was a super nice to win here. I felt already really good for the last few weeks. I really wanted to try and start the season in a good way. It’s nice to have two wins already,” said Mollema, whose teammate Mads Pedersen won Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne at the weekend.
“We have already five wins now at the beginning of March, in Belgium, in Italy and in France. Hopefully, we can continue like this in the other Italian races coming up.”
How it unfolded
The coronavirus pandemic caused a spate of postponements and cancellations in the opening months of the season, but that has only added to the depth of the field in races along the Riviera in recent weeks. The Trofeo Laigueglia, a staple on the Italian calendar since 1964, boasts a roll of honour that includes Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Saronni and Bartoli, but its status had dropped gradually in the 21st century.
The quality on show in Wednesday’s field reversed that trend, with Bernal, Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Michael Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) and Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) among those lining up in Laigueglia. Absent, however, was Italo-Romanian Continental outfit Giotti Victoria-Savini Due, who withdrew at the last minute after an unnamed rider tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the race.
The opening half of the race was animated by a break composed of Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Mattia Bais (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Juri Hollman (Movistar), Mulu Hailemichael (Delko), John Archibald (Eolo Kometa), Vacek (Gazprom Rusvelo), Veljko Stojinic, Alessandro Iacchi (Vini Zabu' Brado KTM), Niccolò Salvietti (MG Kvis Vpm), Davide Persico (Team Colpack Ballan), Nikita Stalnov (Astana-Premier Tech) and Unai Cuadrado (Euskatel-Euskadi), who gained a maximum of almost four minutes on the peloton.
The break disintegrated on the first lap of the finishing circuit, where only Bais and Hollman could track Edet on Colla Micheri, while their advantage also crumbled as first Landa and then Bernal ignited the racing behind.
A peloton of 50 or so riders regrouped after that breathless first lap, but they were whittled down by the forcing of riders like Mollema, Nibali, Diego Rosa (Arkéa-Samsic) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) on the second lap. Edet, Hollman and Bais were caught over the summit of the second climb to Colla Micheri, and around 30 or so riders remained in contention come the penultimate lap.
Eddie Dunbar (Ineos Grenadiers) was the next rider to go on the offensive on the way up Colla Micheri, with James Knox (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Champoussin jumping on his wheel. Shortly afterwards, Dunbar’s teammate Bernal bridged across after launching a searing acceleration of his own.
The Colombian continued to test himself all the way to the summit, and Champoussin could follow closely, but Mollema, Landa, Vansevenant, et al, were never out of sight. They latched back on over the other side, and then Mollema – as he did at Il Lombardia in 2019 – picked his moment wisely.
Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 4:57:05 |
2 | Egan Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:00:39 |
3 | Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
4 | Clément Champoussin (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team | |
5 | Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
6 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain Victorious | |
7 | James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:00:57 |
8 | Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroën Team | 0:01:01 |
9 | Biniam Girmay (Eri) Delko | |
10 | Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
11 | Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis | |
12 | Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
13 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
14 | Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Bahrain Victorious | 0:01:03 |
15 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:01:28 |
16 | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious | 0:01:32 |
17 | Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
18 | Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team | |
19 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
20 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko | |
21 | Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego (Spa) Delko | |
22 | Daniel Muñoz Giraldo (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | |
23 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ | |
24 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
25 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
26 | Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis | 0:02:14 |
27 | Daniel Savini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
28 | Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
29 | Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team | 0:02:16 |
30 | Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
31 | Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo | 0:02:36 |
32 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
33 | Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:04:28 |
34 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech | |
35 | Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team | 0:04:45 |
36 | Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | |
37 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious | |
38 | Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team | 0:05:38 |
39 | Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
40 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis | |
41 | Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo | 0:05:56 |
42 | Mikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 0:05:57 |
43 | Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
44 | Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
45 | Santiago Umba Lopez (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | |
46 | Leonardo Tortomasi (Ita) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
47 | Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
48 | Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo | |
49 | Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
50 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
51 | Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis | |
52 | Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | |
53 | Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) Team Colpack Ballan | |
54 | Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
55 | Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
56 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R Citroën Team | |
57 | Paul Wright (NZl) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
58 | Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Astana-Premier Tech | |
59 | Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R Citroën Team | |
60 | Simon Guglielmi (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
61 | Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team | |
62 | Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
63 | Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
64 | Alessandro Verre (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
65 | Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
66 | Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko | |
67 | Alexandre Delettre (Fra) Delko | |
68 | Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
69 | Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team | |
70 | Jonas Wilsly (Den) Astana-Premier Tech | |
71 | Márton Dina (Hun) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
72 | Mark Christian (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
73 | Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers | |
74 | Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech | |
75 | Filippo Tagliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | 0:07:03 |
76 | Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team | 0:07:23 |
77 | Fernando Barceló Aragon (Spa) Cofidis | |
78 | Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | 0:07:47 |
79 | Iñigo Elosegui Momeñe (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:08:16 |
80 | Cristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo | 0:09:27 |
81 | Natnael Tesfazion (Eri) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec | |
82 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis | 0:09:34 |
DNF | Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team | |
DNF | Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech | |
DNF | Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech | |
DNF | Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech | |
DNF | Domen Novak (Slo) Bahrain Victorious | |
DNF | Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious | |
DNF | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious | |
DNF | Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis | |
DNF | Davide Ballerini (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
DNF | Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
DNF | Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
DNF | Ian Garrison (USA) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
DNF | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Groupama-FDJ | |
DNF | Clément Davy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
DNF | Alexandre Balmer (Swi) Groupama-FDJ Continental | |
DNF | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers | |
DNF | Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers | |
DNF | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers | |
DNF | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers | |
DNF | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
DNF | Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
DNF | Jeremy Bellicaud (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
DNF | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
DNF | Théo Delacroix (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | |
DNF | Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
DNF | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane' | |
DNF | Yakob Debesay (Eri) Delko | |
DNF | Kinfe Hailemichael (Eth) Delko | |
DNF | Alejandro Ropero Molina (Spa) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
DNF | John Archibald (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
DNF | Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
DNF | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team | |
DNF | Unai Cuadrado Ruiz De Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
DNF | Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
DNF | Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
DNF | Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo | |
DNF | Anton Kuzmin (Kaz) Gazprom-RusVelo | |
DNF | Mathias Vacek (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo | |
DNF | Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
DNF | Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
DNF | Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
DNF | David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Andrea Bartolozzi (Ita) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
DNF | Veljko Stojnic (Srb) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
DNF | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
DNF | Joab Schneiter (Swi) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
DNF | Alessandro Iacchi (Ita) Vini Zabu' Brado KTM | |
DNF | Dominik Gorak (Pol) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Matteo Baseggio (Ita) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Riccardo Lucca (Ita) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Gianluca Mignolli (Ita) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Cristian Rocchetta (Ita) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Riccardo Tosin (Ita) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Abderrahim Zahiri (Mar) General Store-f.lli Curia-Essegibi | |
DNF | Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Viktor Filutás (Hun) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNF | Niccolo' Salvietti (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Raffaele Radice (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Edoardo Martinelli (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Guido Draghi (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Nicolo Pencedano (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Francesco Carollo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM | |
DNF | Thomas Pesenti (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Nicolo' Parisini (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Marco Grendene (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Matteo Freddi (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Luca Cretti (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Lorenzo Balestra (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli | |
DNF | Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
DNF | Davide Persico (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
DNF | Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
DNF | Luca Rastelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
DNF | Mattia Petrucci (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan | |
DNF | Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
DNF | Michael Zecchin (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
DNF | Stefano Di Benedetto (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
DNF | Filippo Dignani (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
DNF | Christian Danilo Pase (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek | |
DNS | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers | |
DNS | Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNS | Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNS | Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNS | Viktor Filutás (Hun) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNS | Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due | |
DNS | Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due |
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
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