One thing is certain, Thibaut Pinot can co into the Tour of Lombardy, his last goal of the season, with confidence: he and his team are ready to fight after a final dress rehearsal on Thursday in Milan-Turin. 

"Thibaut took fourth place, benefiting from the work of a team that was built him," said sports director Martial Gayant. "Today's finish on top of a 4 km climb was ideal for him, and his teammates Kenny Elissonde and Arnold Jeannesson, both in good condition, have once again done a good job. The other team members rode for them, particularly to position them at the bottom of the first ascent of the final climb, 25 kilometers from the line."

Arnold Jeannesson positioned them for the final difficulty and Kenny Elissonde close  d gaps for his leader who took then the race on.

"Diego Rosa (Astana) was above the rest. He took a solo win. Behind him, Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) attempted to catch him, followed by Thibaut. Aru (Astana) was behind and eventually finished third but it's a good result for our leader," Gayant said.

"Tomorrow morning, we will do a recon of the last 60 kilometers of the Tour of Lombardy from the Sormano wall and the next two days of recovery will do us good. The team is focused, is eager to do well but we still feel the end of the season. For example, Alexandre Géniez  still has the Giro, the Tour de France, the Tour de l'Ain which he won and the trip to the United States for the TTT World Championships in the legs. Now it is just one little effort and it will be time for some rest."