Enric Mas founds Pogacar to win the Giro de Emilia

The Spanish Movistar Team cyclist

won this Saturday in the 106th edition of the Giro de Emilia after almost

of crossing in which he starred in an intense duel in the final kilometers with the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE), second, and in which the Spanish Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished in fourth position.

This preparatory race for the monument on October 8, 'Il Lombardía', put the spotlight on

, who will end his career in said monument -and who came from being second in the Agostoni Cup- and in the two-time Tour champion from France Pogacar as the top contenders to crown these 198.7 km between Carpi and San Luca.

However, it

in one of the most prestigious peaks of Italian cycling, such as the arrival at the Sanctuary of San Luca, which he crowned after 2.2 kilometers of ascent with double-digit ramps and which he completed until on five occasions in a final circuit that began forty kilometers from the finish line.

The start of the race was very calm.

With an average speed of about 47 kilometers per hour, due to the initial line run, the first escape of the group took place led by Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën), Rick Pluimers (Jumbo-Visma), Johan Meens (Bingoal Pauwels), Jacopo Guarnieri (Groupama-FDJ) and Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), who withstood the two initial climbs, Ca' Bortolami (km 87) and Medelana (km 127), longer than the only and last final dimension.

It was in the final kilometers, specifically when they reached the final circuit, when the peloton, which had come to have a disadvantage of up to three minutes, began to cut seconds from the escapees, who fell one by one in a sudden way.

The one who resisted the most was

, who was left alone in the lead with 30 kilometers to go, but was caught up by the peloton led by UAE and Movistar Team 10 kilometers later.

The critical part of the race was launched at that moment.

UAE and Movistar measured each other for a few kilometers, until the Italian Formolo raised the pace and separated the peloton with a group of

who followed in his wake and in which the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who disappeared in the race, was not.

Formolo fulfilled his part as a hare for his teammate Pogacar and less than 10 kilometers from the finish line, with one more lap to go, the intense duel between Pogacar and Enric Mas began.

The Spaniard attacked, but the Slovenian withstood the onslaught, who was caught off guard by the initiative of the

.

Behind them, a group of seven in which Valverde was, on the prowl.

They could do little against the pace imposed by the leaders.

The chasing group was then reduced to three in the final part of the route, when the legs began to fail after three consecutive climbs with ramps that reached

The Colombian Urán, the Italian Pozzovivo and Valverde were strong, who managed to get dangerously close to the leading pair, generating numerical superiority on the part of the Movistar Team.

The five riders endured almost wheel to wheel until, with 2 kilometers to go, Mas signed the final attack.

Fresh, with a light pedaling and after almost five hours, the Spaniard put the Slovenian in check, who tried to keep up but had to fight with Pozzovivo for second place in the final meters.

With a time of

, Mas, twice runner-up in the Vuelta España, collected the crown from the Slovenian Primoz Roglic and was proclaimed champion on Italian lands of this Giro de Emilia 2022, preparatory test for 'Il Lombardía ', the last monument of Alejandro Valverde, which will be removed after completing the tour.

Finally the second to cross the finish line was Pogacar, 13 seconds later.

Pozzovivo was third and Valverde fourth.

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