Como (Italy) (AFP)
The Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek) won the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday, the last great classic of the 24-kilometer cycling season between Bergamo and Como in northern Italy.
Mollema won alone, with 15 seconds ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Valverde and Colombian Egan Bernal.
The 32-year-old Dutchman won for the first time a "monument". Stage winner on the Tour de France in 2017, he also won the 2016 Clasica San Sebastian and increased the number of places of honor in day and stage races.
The selection was made in the Civiglio, the penultimate difficulty, in the last 20 kilometers. Mollema went on the attack less than two kilometers from the top to switch with fifteen seconds ahead of the French Pierre Latour, in the forefront of the group of favorites.
Subsequently, the Dutchman resisted a counterattack by Slovenian Primoz Roglic and the pursuit started in the last run, 5 kilometers from the finish, by Valverde.
The 39-year-old Spanish veteran, who has never won Lombardy, finished second for the third time since 2013 and 2014.
Mollema has succeeded to the French charts Thibaut Pinot, absent this year.
The first ranked Frenchman, Pierre Latour, took the 9th place ahead of Rudy Molard, 50 seconds behind the winner.
© 2019 AFP