The Tre Valli Varesine (1.Pro, 5/10) a first race of a tryptich in the north of Italy, rewarded audacity this Tuesday. The Lombard of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, Lorenzo Rota, took a risky bet on the wet roads, by attacking with more than 100 kilometer to go. The puncher escaped in a group of seven riders behind the early breakaway.
The difficulty of the demanding parcours with 24 climbs was reinforced by the weather circumstances. It didn’t stop raining during the race of 196 kilometer, but just like in the Route Adélie de Vitré last weekend, Rota pushed had in the leading group where also Tadej Pogacar and Rigoberto Uran were present.
His sacrifices enabled him to lead the race until de final kilometers, despite the strong pressure of the peloton just behind. De Marchi and Formolo managed to escape in the final, so Rota sprinted for third place. The Lombard again shone in a one day race, finishing 7th at the end of an effort of almost 5 hours.
« I always like to come back to Varese, because I really apreciate the parcours. So I’m happy that I was able to distinguish myself on my favorite roads, close to where I was born, in Bergamo. It seemed a bit early to attack, but in the end it was the right strategy considering the hard parcours and the weather circumstances. We didn’t receive a lot of information about the time gaps, so I kept pushing hard, hoping to make it to the finish with the breakaway. I’m satisfied about my race, because the riders finishing in front of me were strong. Next Saturday they will probably also be the ones to play a major role in Lombardia, the race I’m looking forward to since the start of the season. And of course I want to compete with them for a good result again! »
