photo credits @ WTFK
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) claimed this year’s Giro dell’Emilia, after the Slovenian rider attacked with 37km remaining to claim a solo victory in Bologna San Luca today.
After responding to an initial attack by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal – Quick-Step), the recently crowned world champion commenced an attack of his own along the first of five ascents of the climb to San Luca, quickly opening up a lead over his Belgian rival and the rest of the head of the peloton.
Meanwhile,Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won the sprint for second place, with Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Kometa) snatching the final spot on the podium.
Earlier, Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), Alessio Martinelli (VF Group – Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), José Ramón Muñiz (Team Petrolike), Ander Ganzabal (Euskaltel – Euskadi), Dmitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB) and Roberto González (Corratec-Vini Fantini) marked the day’s first breakaway effort, with the sextet later opening up an advantage of just over five minutes.
However, the escapees were eventually reined with 47km remaining.
Evenepoel decided to animate things along the first accent, a move that was quickly marked by Pogačar, who later commenced his winning attack some 3 kilometers later.
Jorgenson tried to hold onto this wheel, but soon cracked and was reeled in by the main bunch, while Pogačar continued to increase his lead, subsequently opening up a gap of more than a minute with 25km to go.
With 11km left, Pogačar’s margin had swelled to almost two minutes, while Lipowitz tried to bridge his way to the lone leader, but to no avail.
In the meantime, Evenepoel had abandoned the race with just under 30km to go.
In the end, Pogačar once again proved peerless today, taking his 24th victory of the season, as he now fixes his gaze on Il Lombardia next weekend, the final monument of the season.
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