Riding for the national team, Giacomo Nizzolo proved that he is ready to lead Italy at the World Championships when he powered to victory in the uphill sprint at the 100th edition of GranPiemonte. Having made it into a 37-rider group at the end of a very fast race, he beat Fernando Gaviria (EtixxQuickStep) who had been involved in a crash earlier in the race, and Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) to take his second win this month.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Nizzolo: I couldn’t have asked for a better result in my final build-up race

Giacomo Nizzolo said:

 

"It's a great victory because it comes at the end of a race contested at a very high tempo. I'm also happy because I felt great on the climbs. To be honest, this morning, I didn't feel well – I had fever or something like that but once I started racing I felt normal. I couldn't ask for better timing, winning a race ahead of the World Championships. Now I know that I can go to Doha with great motivation!

 

"As I woke up feeling unwell, I told [national coach Davide] Cassani that I'd see on the way if I'd be able to race properly or not. But after the initial hill, I felt great in the group of 38. The finale was a pretty technical sprint. I didn't know the finish so I was close to crashing in the last curve.

 

"Felline led me out in the last kilometer. Then I preferred to do it alone as the finale was technical. In the end I was right.

 

“I'm happy especially because of the great feelings I've experienced all the way today. I couldn't ask for more in my last race before the Worlds. To win such a fast race against rivals of such a high level is fantastic. With the national champion jersey as a member of the national team it's even better.

 

"My goal from Nationals and onwards was always the Worlds. I have had a very good approach. I did not get the results I wanted in Eneco but I had a good feeling and they were very good again today. This is the proof."

 

"I do not feel like an alternative option at the Worlds, not because I want to be a phenomenon but because I worked hard to be 100% at the Worlds and I was clear with Cassani. I do not want to be the alternative of anyone. With Viviani there is respect and esteem. We will find an agreement, but do not call me an alternative.”

 

Runner-up Gaviria: I am in a perfect place as I still have two weeks to get ready

Etixx – Quick-Step started the Italian one-day race as one of the favourites, but was soon struck by bad luck, as three riders crashed in the opening kilometers of the event which took the peloton from Diana d'Alba to Aglié, over 207 kilometers: Laurens De Plus, Fernando Gaviria and Pieter Serry. After landing on his right side, De Plus had to abandon and was taken to the Casale Monferrato hospital, where the X-rays didn't seem to show any fractures, but a strong right hip contusion that puts his Il Lombardia participation under a cloud.

 

Although both Gaviria and Serry remounted after the crash, it wasn't an easy task for them to continue the race, as the bunch put the hammer down and rode at an average speed of 49 kilometers for more than an hour. Eventually, when things settled down, a large group went clear, but with many dangerous riders – including Matteo Trentin – booking a place in that move, the pack wasn't willing to let them go.

 

After the group was reeled in, Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) attacked and established a consistent margin of six minutes, which allowed the Frenchman to stay at the front until the last three kilometers, when the peloton led by Etixx – Quick-Step swept past him. The sprint, a very technical one, with several tricky corners, saw two of the Etixx riders finish in the top 10, same time as winner Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy): Fernando Gaviria, who came second, and Zdenek Stybar, who concluded the 100th edition of Gran Piemonte in 8th place.

 

"I had good legs, but not powerful enough to beat Giacomo, who was better today and deserved the victory. Overall, I am happy, because I could continue the race and keep my focus, despite crashing. It wasn't easy, so to get second is still a good result and I want to thank the team for their work. To me it's important that I'm on the right track, especially as I'll race Tour de l'Eurometropole, Binche-Chimay-Binche and Paris-Tours in the space of just one week, before going to the World Championships", said 22-year-old Gaviria, who has six victories and six podiums in his first season as pro.

 

"I believe that, unlike myself, Nizzolo knew the finish and it made a difference. He was the strongest too. It was a hard finale and I lacked a bit of legs. But I feel good. I'm in the form I wanted to have ahead of the World Championships and I have two more weeks to get into the perfect shape. I have enjoyed this race a lot because we rode at a high rhythm and it's exactly what I needed to prepare for the Worlds.

 

Emotional Bennati on the podium in final race for Tinkoff

After two days of falling short when it came to the final result, Tinkoff finished the Giro del Piemonte with a podium spot after Daniele Bennati finished third in the day's bunch sprint. It was a race where Tinkoff spent the whole day on the front foot, represented in the initial large break, before leaving their mark in the finishing bunch sprint. After his final race wearing the Tinkoff colours, Bennati thanked team owner Oleg Tinkov and the entire team for this incredible four-season period of his professional career.

 

Bennati had to dig deep on the race’s final climb to stay in contention with the select lead group, before being put into position by Michael Gogl and mixing it up in the finishing sprint at the end of the day.

 

Sport Director, Lars Michaelsen explained the race more after the finish:

 

“The day got off to a fast, heavy start around Barolo with a climb early on where a group of 38 riders got clear with four of our guys there. We pushed hard to make it stick but eventually they were caught after 115km.

 

“After 173km there was a final selection on a 6km climb at around 6% gradient and Benna and Gogl made the selection here. The plan was to go for Benna for the sprint today and Gogl was able to do a good job to help him at the finish. He was a bit boxed in for the sprint but it is a nice result after two days of not coming away with what we wanted.”

 After the fast start, Bennati, Gogl, Manuele Boaro and stagiaire, Davide Ballerini made the initial selection in the early break of 38 riders. The fast, attacking start resulted in an average speed of 49km/h in the opening two hours of racing. The break was too large to stick and, despite a hard push from the Tinkoff riders, the break was reeled back in after 115km.

 

From here one rider pushed on and went clear building a few minutes’ advantage before gradually being reeled back in. All eyes were on the last climb of the day where the real selection would be made for who could fight out the finish. Despite initially suffering on the climb, Michael Gogl dug deep to make the front group and be in a position to help teammate Daniele Bennati in the final. The lone escapee went close but was eventually caught in the final few kilometres before the sprint unfolded.

 

After finishing his podium duties, Bennati also added:

 

"Today was a very special day for me as this race was my last one in Tinkoff colours and I really wanted to close this chapter of my professional career with another win. In addition, I have already won Piemonte twice and I would have become the record holder with three victories. That victory would have a special value because it would also be a way to thank my teammates, the staff and, of course, Oleg Tinkov. I joined the team in 2013 and after four incredible seasons, Tinkoff will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

"Our plan today was for me to try to win. It was a very fast race with an average of 47km/h. I went in the early break of 38 riders and stayed at the front for more than 100km. In the last climb we were part of a group of around 35-40 riders and I had Michael Gogl there who helped me until the final kilometre. I stayed on the wheel of Gaviria but we got boxed in and Nizzolo grabbed the opportunity to pass us on the right.

 

"I'm very happy with the final result and even if I missed the victory, I'm very satisfied with my form and the podium place I achieved. Once again, thanks everybody at Tinkoff and thanks Oleg! I will never forget these four great years."

 

"I've felt good in the last 20 days after the Vuelta. Today I wanted to try to win again as I won this race twice before. We kind of expected such a fast start because of the hill to start with. I started quite motivated with my team-mates. The breakaway group was pretty big. Hadn't [Fernando] Gaviria and another Etixx-Quick Step rider crashed in that group, I believe the race scenario could have been different. But only Team Sky, AG2R-La Mondiale and us were pulling.

 

”At the end, in front of me there are Giacomo [Nizzolo] and Gaviria, two young and strong sprinters. I'm happy anyway.

 

”Ahead of the World Championships we have two very good sprinters with Giacomo and Elia [Viviani]. We probably have one of the best lead-outs too! Maybe we don't have any of the world's top sprinters, but as a team we can do a very good job for these two guys.”

 

"It was a strange sprint because I think that I was one of the few who knew the finish,” he told SpazioCiclismo. “I had seen it and knew I had to take the last two corners in front to win. It was not easy, but I was able to take the wheel of Gaviria. I thought it was the right one, since Stybar had done a good job.  In the penultimate corner he slowed down, with Stybar who did not give room to his teammate . We almost crashed and we had no room to sprint. When Stybar moved, it was too late.  Nizzolo was fast to pass everybody, taking some risks but managing to get through.”

 

"There was the crash of Gaviria and other Etixx riders which has compromised the race. If they had not crashed, we would probably have made it. We did two hours a bloc but then the teams behind got organized and they caught because there were only eight riders pulling in front. Nonetheless, I thank the teammates for the trust you have given me. They have done an incredible job.  I was aiming to win, but I'm satisfied with what we did.”

 

Michael Gogl explained the situation further from the finish:

 

“It was a really hard race and we made it hard from the start. We wanted to make everybody tired and forced the move. On the last climb Benna was able to stay there and so was I so I tried to help position him as much as possible. He was boxed in but got a nice result. After the Vuelta my legs are really good – I had a bit of a down day at Tre Valli Varesine but today was much better.”

 

The next race for Tinkoff this week in Italy is the final WorldTour race of the season on Saturday, Il Lombardia.

 

Lobato: The good feelings are back

The Movistar Team competed on Thursday at the 100th Gran Piemonte (1.HC), a 207km sprinters' course between Diano d’Alba and Agliè covered at very high speeds. A 38-man breakaway, including 'Blues' Andrey Amador and Jorge Arcas, forced many squads to chase furiously  inthe first half of the race, the lead group always having a gap around 1'30" before a further push from behind made the junction possible at about 95km from the finish.

 

With that huge escape caught and only one other attempt from Stéphane Rossetto (COF) - the Frenchman caught with 1500m to go - a slightly uphill sprint in Agliè, with cobblestones and two turns in the final hundred meters, rewarded Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), who beat Gaviria (EQS), Bennati (TNK) and Movistar Team's Juanjo Lobato, 4th over the line after help from Arcas, Carapaz and Castroviejo following the climb of Alice Superiore.

 

”The good feelings are back. I am happy with these last races. Thanks to the team for their support today,” he tweeted after the race

 

In other, more frustrating news, and following yesterday's hard crash in Milano-Torino, it was confirmed today that Rubén Fernández will undergo surgery on Monday to fix his right collarbone fracture. Both the Spaniard and Adriano Malori have headed back to their homes after the accident.

 

BMC: Sixth place for Gilbert is good in a race with these top sprinters

Philippe Gilbert crossed the line in sixth place in a reduced bunch sprint at the Giro del Piemonte which was won by Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo).

 

Gilbert was part of a 38-rider move in the early stages of the 207km race but the peloton reeled the group back at the halfway mark

 

It was Gilbert’s second top ten placing this week in Italy after also finishing in sixth place at Tre Valli Varesine.

 

Sports director Valerio Piva said:

 

“The first 10km of the race was uphill, really hard, and it was there that a group of 38 riders went full gas, including Philippe Gilbert. For the next 100km the peloton was chasing this group until they closed the gap so the first two hours of the race were very fast. Then one rider went alone after that and the race was very controlled. There was a climb with 25km to go and Damiano Caruso made a good pace to reduce the group to around 35 riders, including Damiano and Philippe.

 

”It came down to a sprint but there were a lot of pure sprinters there. Damiano positioned Philippe well but when you have these guys like Nizzolo and Gaviria there it is hard to beat them in a sprint finish like that as it wasn’t really hard. Sixth place for Philippe is a good result when you see the names in the top five.”

 

Swift finishes off strong ride by Sky at Gran Piemonte

Ben Swift sprinted to seventh place at Gran Piemonte after a strong team performance in Italy.

 

Team Sky had sent five men up the road in the day's early 38-man break but the peloton saw danger and reeled the move back in, before lone attacker Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) escaped and built a four-minute lead.

 

The move never looked like being decisive and yet the Frenchman stayed clear until the final kilometre of the 207km test, when he was finally swept up by the chasing pack.

 

Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) then sprinted to a comfortable victory on the slightly uphill finish in Aglie, while Swift battled to his top 10 finish. Fernando Gaviria (Etixx - Quick-Step) and Daniele Bennati (Tinkoff) rounded out the podium.

 

After the race TeamSky.com caught up with Sport Director Kurt Arvesen who praised the work of the team, explaining that the early break came very close to staying away.

 

He said: "That was an impressive job by all the guys. They went straight with the break. The first part was very hilly and we had those five guys in that break of 38, and together with Tinkoff we rode pretty hard. At one point it looked very promising.

 

"I thought maybe the peloton would give up - sometimes that happens in Piemonte - but then they got organised behind and caught us at the feed zone. Ian Stannard then went in the counter break after the feed zone, so we were on top of our game today and we never had to chase.

 

"But we went all in there in the first break, so we were tired. All the guys were really tired, and so Swifty was left alone for the sprint, but hats off to Swifty. He stayed up there in that front group and was right in the mix on the final climb at 27km to go. He was there, but a little bit lonely. He had to fight for his position, and finished seventh."

 

Looking ahead to Saturday's Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season, Arvesen added that it will be a "very hard and exciting" edition, and he hopes the team will be able to play its part.

 

"We only had Swifty and Kiry today who will race on Saturday. The rest of the guys went to the other hotel this morning after Milano-Torino yesterday and they're all tuned up and ready. It will be a very hard and exciting Lombardia, and hopefully we can play our part in that."

 

Mori takes over from ill Modolo in Piemonte

In the third of the four Italian appointments which are scheduled this week, LAMPRE-MERIDA did not succeeded in entering the top 10, after Ulissi had been on the podium in the Tre Valli Varesine (Tuesday) and was 5th in the Milano-Torino(Wednesday). At the finish of the race, the always reliable Mori was 12th in the sprint of the front group of 20 riders.

 

The blue-fuchsia-green team which was directed by Marco Marzano was ready in the first part of the course in reacting to the very fast start, when 38 riders went clear from the bunch: in the breakaway, they had Rui Costa, Cattaneo and Durasek.

 

A select group sprinted for the victory and, after Modolo quit the race because of illness, Mori tried to do his best in the sprint to give LAMPRE-MERIDA a good result.

 

Katusha: Our only chance was to try something

Team KATUSHA’s Tiago Machado was active in the final, trying an attack with less than 1500 m to go, but in the end it was a group sprint won by Italian champion Giacomo Nizzolo.

 

"We tried something at the end as it was our only chance. Machado tried to jump away from the leading group but it was impossible to get away. The whole day the speed was crazy. The first two hours were raced at 49 km/h," said team director Claudio Cozzi.

 

For the podium, Nizzolo was joined by Fernando Gaviria of Etixx – Quick Step and Daniele Bennati of Tinkoff. Machado was part of this front group in nineteenth place.

 

An original break of 38 riders included three from KATUSHA – Machado, Alberto Losada and Pavel Kochetkov. They got 2 minutes but were caught after 120 km of racing. With 30 km to go the peloton reached a climb and the peloton split into different parts with Machado in the first group and Kochetkov in the second. It was from this group that Machado tried his escape, but the front group stayed together for a reduced sprint in Agliè for an overall time of 4:25.21 (46.806 km/h) on the 207 km course.

 

Mechanical takes in-form Gavazzi out of contention at Gran Piemonte

For Androni, Francesco Gavazzi started immediately on the attack, with his teammate Alberto Nardin, in a big group consisting of thirty riders. In the end, he was in the front grou but with three kilometers to go he was set back by a mechanical accident that forced him to change bike and consequently give up.

 

Astana stagiaire impresses, Rosa attacks on home soil.

After the great victory by the Colombian of the Astana Pro Team, Miguel Angel Lopez, yesterday at Milano – Torino, the team did the 100th edition of the Gran Piemonte. They tried to surprise the sprinters, attacking with two riders, Diego Rosa and Zhandos Bizhigitov, among the 38 riders in the early break.

 

For Bizhigitov, riding as stagiaire in this race for the Astana Pro Team, it was another convincing performance after the good ones of the past week in the Giro della Toscana.

 

For Diego Rosa, it was like a 'must' to try to do something today due to the fact that the race started exactly in front of his parents’ house where he grew up.