Crazy final in Via Roma with the Belgian ahead of Matthews and Pogacar
Shortly after the official start in Pavia, the breakaway formed by: Davide Baldaccini, Valerio Conti and Kyrylo Tsarenko (Team Corratec – Vini Fantini), Sergio Samitier (Movistar Team), Romain Combaud (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), Davide Bais, Mirco Maestri and Andrea Pietrobon (Team Polti Kometa), Alessandro Tonelli and Samuele Zoccarato (VF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè). The ten attackers never acquire a large advantage, which always remains under 3 minutes.
UAE Team Emirates begins their work on the leaders, to try to put the other riders in difficulty, with Laporte being the first big name to get into difficulty. On the Cipressa , Del Toro alone fails to make a great selection and there are around forty men left in the group. On the next descent the day's breakaway is resumed.
On Poggio Pogacar tries to attack , but struggles to make a difference and only gains a few meters over another dozen runners. After the descent, first Mohoric and then Pidcock try the action in via Roma, but in the final sprint Jasper Philipsen comes out perfectly after having managed to keep the wheels of the best uphill and beats Matthews and Pogacar .
Many regrets for the Italians with a great Bettiol who finished 5th after showing a big leg on the Poggio, as well as Ganna who succumbed to a mechanical problem in the last kilometres. Sobrero also did well as he tried to anticipate the final sprint before Pidcock.
ARRIVAL ORDER:
1 PHILIPSEN Jasper Alpecin - Deceuninck 6:15:44
2 MATTHEWS Michael Team Jayco AlUla ,,
3 POGAČAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates ,,
4 PEDERSEN Mads Lidl - Trek ,,
5 BETTIOL Alberto EF Education - EasyPost ,,
6 MOHORIČ Matej Bahrain - Victorious,,
7 VAN GILS Maxim Lotto Dstny,,
8 STUYVEN Jasper Lidl - Trek ,,
9 ALAPHILIPPE Julian Soudal Quick-Step ,,
10 VAN DER POEL Mathieu Alpecin - Deceuninck ,,
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency