Professional since 2008, many placements in the top ten of the main competitions but victories with the dropper, the greatest of which the Clasica de San Sebastian in 2015: finally yesterday, on the threshold of 33 years, the Dutch Bauke Mollema has seized the success that is worth a career winning by posting the Giro di Lombardia, one of the five classic-monuments of the calendar, a triumph matured with a sprint halfway up the Civiglio climb, leaving the group of favorites in the lurch. Mollema never looked back, pedaling in his own way, broken but effective: first Roglic, then Valverde and also Bernal tried to grab him in turn.
But they were all late attempts: even the San Fermo climb passed without damage, the finish line in Como was now too close to allow the pursuers to catch up with the Dutchman who appeared along the lakeside with a reassuring advantage. Valverde and Bernal were fighting for the two remaining places on the podium with the Spanish ex-champion who preceded the Colombian who triumphed at the last Tour by a whisker. Roglic's squad arrived a little further behind. Vincenzo Nibali, who was looking for a three-of-a-kind in Lombardy, had given up on the first ramps of the Civiglio. One of the most disappointing seasons ended for the Squalo with second place in the Giro and nothing more.
