It is not over until it’s over: that is what Fabio Duarte must have been thinking over the last few days after his very solid performance at Il Lombardia. Some energies lacked in the finale, but Varese 2008’s Under 23 World Champion came back home with some great feelings. And he did not miss another chance to show all his class before his first season at Colombia Coldeportes was wrapped up.
It all happened at Coppa Sabatini, where the team directed by Oscar Pellicioli offered a stunning performance throughout the whole 198 km effort with start and finish in Peccioli. The decisive moment came with 21 km to go, on the second-to-last passage on the final climb: after the previous break was reeled in, Fabio Duarte was led to the front and did not hesitate to launch a stinging attack that left only 5 riders in his wake: Francesco Failli and Matteo Rabottini (Farnese), Patrick Sinkewitz (Meridiana), Miguel Rubiano Chaves (Androni) and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar).
The peloton tried to keep control on the escapees, but the chase by Acqua&Sapone and Colnago proved fruitless, and it all came up to the decisive showdown on the finishing ramp: Fabio Duarte kicked with 350 metres to go and got a clear and well-deserved win in front of Rubiano and Rabottini. The 26-year-old from Factativa landed his second win of the season after the Prologue of the Vuelta a Colombia, and the sixth overall for the team.
But Duarte’s attack came along with a brilliant effort by the team as a whole, absolutely perfect in always being in the spot when it counted most. A dangerous 11-man break started after 15 km, and Colombia Coldeportes Carlos Quintero once again proved his sharpness to get into breakaways to ensure the team’s presence in a group including Movistar’s Nairo Quintana and Miguel Rubiano Chaves.
Yet again, Esteban Chaves was quick in following Sky Lars-Petter Nordhaug’s wake when the Norwegian got clear of the bunch, and managed to join the frontrunners and strengthen the team’s presence ahead of the bunch. Meridiana and Farnese needed a lot of energies to keep the gap under control, and ultimately reduce it until only six riders remained upfront – once again with Carlos Quintero within them.
As soon as all the riders in the break were reeled in, Fabio Duarte hardly lost a second to make the move that would ultimately prove to be the decisive one.
“I am extremely happy – Fabio Duarte said afterwards – it is my first victory in Europe for Colombia Coldeportes, and I really wanted to deliver before the season was over. It has not been a lucky year overall, but today I took a great joy after edging my fellow escapees in the final 500 metres. Now my focus moves to the Giro dell’Emilia – which I really like a lot – and then I will start working on 2013 season: I want to progress with this team next year, while hopefully getting our first participation in the Grand Tours.”
“I want to dedicate this win to General Manager Claudio Corti – a great person – to all my teammates and team staff, and to the people who have been following the team warmly throughout the year – they have been incredible for us. I also want to send a special thought to Colombian Cycling Federation President Jorge Ovidio, whose vicinity and support is really important to us.”
It was a long-awaited win for Fabio and for the whole team, as Sports Director Oscar Pellicioli explained after the race: “Today at the start, just after the meeting, I went to Fabio and told him ‘today it is your day’: we have got to know Fabio during the year, and we know what kind of guy he is – everybody wished him to get a big result to refuel his confidence. He has not been very lucky throughout the year – several crashes in bad moments kind of affected him – but today he showed his full value, riding a perfect race and finishing it in style.”
“At this point of the year it is not easy to manage energies, but we had full confidence in Duarte after his performance at Lombardia. Still, I think the whole team needs praise: they rode smart and covered all the most important phases in the race, and that deserved this very important win.”
Another exciting race, the penultimate for the season, is now expecting the riders on Saturday: the Giro dell’Emilia, featuring the dreadful final ramp to the Colle di San Luca, could call the Escarabajos to another valuable performance. Inspired by climbing, until the final contest.
