Lombardy Tour: Bauke Mollema wins solitary last Monument of the season

Cycling

Bauke Mollema won the 113th edition of the Lombardy Tour, the fifth and last Monument of the cycling season.

Released in the Civiglio, the Dutchman from Trek-Segafredo won alone on Saturday, after 243 km between Bergamo and Como. He was 16 seconds ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos).

The Italians Davide Ballerini (Astana) and Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe) came out of the pack after 4 km. They were soon joined by their compatriots Fausto Masnada (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Enrico Barbin (Bardiani CSF) and Marco Marcato (Emirates UAE Team) as well as the Frenchman Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), the Latvian Toms Skujins (Trek -Segafredo) and the Russian Petr Rikunov (Gazprom-Rusvelo). The peloton let slip this group of eight, which counted more than 5 minutes in advance after 40 km of race.

On the ascent of the Madonna del Ghisallo (8.6 km at 6.2%), about 65 km from the finish, Masnada was trying his luck. Skujins accompanied him. Behind them, the Luxembourger Bob Jungels (Deceuninck-Quick Step) went on a counterattack. The Luxembourger returned to Skujins on the Sormano Wall, Masnada letting go. This climb of 5.1 km to 6.6% redistributed the cards. Canada's Michael Woods (EF Education First) was the first of the favorites to move, starting the rally at the top of the race.

The climb of Civiglio (4.2 km at 9.7%) saw first Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and the German Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) attack. This led to the reaction of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and then Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo). The latter finally isolated himself in the lead.

While the lead of Mollema exceeded 40 seconds to 10 km from the finish, one of the favorites, Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) went against. The winner of the Vuelta did not manage to widen the gap on a group including Valverde, Woods, the Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos) and the Danish Jakob Fugslang (Astana).

Just the opposite of Mollema, who could approach the last climb, San Fermo della Battaglia (2.7 km to 7.2%), with 1 minute ahead. It was enough. The Dutch could savor the last kilometers.

Mollema, 32, succeeds Thibaut Pinot of the 'Classique des feuilles mortes'. He won the 13th victory of his career, the first of the season.

Valverde preceded Bernal and Fuglsang in the sprint for second place, 16 seconds behind the winner. Woods finished fifth at 34 seconds ahead of Australian Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) and Roglic.