Triumph of Joaquin Purito Rodriguez at the Giro di Lombardia: always the protagonist throughout the season, the Spaniard finally put everyone behind him, from Contador to Hesjedal, with an attack on the last climb of the day at Villa Vergano, then defending the slight advantage in the last ten kilometres, I ran under a violent storm that obscured the road. Rodriguez is the first Iberian to conquer Lombardy. And with this triumph, Purito also won the Pro Tour classification of best rider of the year, overtaking Wiggins in extremis.
Long and grueling race, the highlight of Lombardy had to be the Muro di Sormano, rediscovered after half a century since those distant editions of the early 25s in which it was introduced by Vincenzo Torriani, the patron of the Giro d'Italia at the time of Coppi and then di Merckx: a narrow dirt road, less than two kilometers long, but with impossible slopes, specially paved for cycling after having been for centuries a simple passage for summer pastures. On those ramps with peaks of up to XNUMX% there were many riders who pushed their bikes by hand. There the great Anquetil also received generous shoves. Even more Baldini received so much to beat, he who was not a climber, the record for the fastest ascent. So difficult to climb on one's own legs that Torriani decided to shelve it after three editions. It must have been the suggestion of the memories of those days, in fact there was a great expectation to see today on those bends the many big names who left Bergamo this morning for the last classic monument of the calendar: from Contador, victorious in the great last Milan-Turin, to Gilbert, fresh world champion, from Rodriguez himself to Nibali and Hesjedal. Of the big names in circulation only Wiggins was missing.
But more than the climb, which in truth did not make the expected selection – the distance from the finish line in Lecco of about 84 km did not lead to reckless flights – it was the descent that claimed illustrious victims above all because of the rain which made every curve dangerous: one of the first to slide on the asphalt was the super favorite of the eve, namely Philippe Gilbert who was wearing the rainbow jersey for the first time in this Giro di Lombardia conquered with a champion's reach in Valkenburg. His teammate Alessandro Ballan also ended up on the ground with him. Lombardy lost one of the most awaited protagonists. But that's not enough. On the Ghisallo descent, Nibali too was involved in a tumble in one of the many hairpin bends of the famous mountain that dominates Lake Como above Bellagio.
A fall without major damage which however held back the Sicilian champion on the last asperity of the route, before the dive on Lecco. Nibali thus lost the wheels of the best. At that point Lombardy was in the hands of foreigners: Contador, Hesjedal, Henao, Zaugg, Rodriguez led the dance. But above all it was Purito who imposed the law of the strongest, flying towards Lecco and obtaining his second victory in a classic monument after the one in spring at the Freccia Vallona.
