6 October, 2018, San Luca (ITA)
Alessandro De Marchi took an emphatic win on home soil at Giro dell’Emilia after a gutsy effort saw him go on the attack early and ride solo to an impressive victory while behind, Dylan Teuns battled on to round out the podium positions in San Luca.
Alberto Bettiol flew the flag for BMC Racing Team in the early breakaway which reached the bottom of the 19.6-kilometer long Passo Brasimone, after over 50km of racing, ten minutes ahead of the peloton.
Despite the main bunch starting to cut into their advantage, Bettiol and his fellow leaders continued to work well together going into the second half of the 207.4-kilometer course, and they were still sitting four minutes ahead as they approached the 40-kilometer to go mark.
However, the race continued to intensify behind them and soon, as they hit the steep slopes of the 2.1-kilometer long climb up to the finish line for the first time, the gap was just 1’30”.
The gradient, which averaged 9.4 percent, took its toll on the breakaway and at the start of the first of four laps of the 9.3-kilometer long finishing circuit, Bettiol was riding in the second group that was eventually swept up by the strung-out peloton around one minute behind the four remaining leaders.
With just 20 seconds separating the reduced main bunch from the front of the race, De Marchi seized the opportunity to jump across to the leading group, making the junction on the second lap with 26 kilometers to go.
More riders were able to bridge the gap before new attacks saw De Marchi leading the race inside the final 20 kilometers as splits began to appear between the leading riders on the third ascent of the punishing climb.
A show of strength from De Marchi saw him extend his advantage out to 30 seconds going onto the penultimate lap and, with the wet weather conditions playing to his advantage by making the tough finishing circuit even tougher, he heard the bell ring around 40 seconds ahead of the first chaser and 45 seconds ahead of the whittled-down peloton.
After safely negotiating the tricky descent, De Marchi continued to dig deep and his determination was evident with the Italian rider gritting his teeth as the grueling ascent began for the final time.
De Marchi was able to focus on his own race, remaining unfazed by the attacks that began behind him going under the flamme rouge and his impressive effort was rewarded as he powered across the line, punching the air with delight as he sealed the day’s victory.
Teuns also looked strong at the first in a series of Italian one-day races for BMC Racing Team, sticking with the main bunch on the final lap and even closing down the dangerous moves behind De Marchi before taking third on the line to join his teammate on the podium.
The Winner’s Interview with Alessandro De Marchi
Congratulations, Alessandro! What does today’s victory mean to you?
“Today was a great day for me and I think this is maybe the best win of my career so far because stage races are totally different from a single-day race and I have never raced to win a single-day race.”
“Over the last month, I have had a small dream about trying to go solo for the win here, not from the breakaway but by jumping clear off the front of the bunch early in the final. I took the risk today and in the end, it paid off.”
What was it like when you were riding solo out at the front of the race?
“It’s a crazy feeling because only in that moment, when you are alone in front, does everything count. Once you have made the gap, and found the right move, it’s just you out there so it’s all about staying focused, maintaining a good pace and focusing every inch of the road. Everything counts and it’s special because you can wait a long time, maybe all day, and then quickly you’re laying it all out on the road.”
After today’s win, what’s your goal for the upcoming Italian one-day races?
“I think after today, I have to use the final races of the season to say thank you to Dylan especially because today, he was really helpful and he did an amazing job for me. I know he wants to race for the win and I would like to help him to do that.”
“I have shown that I am in good shape and you never know what can happen but now is the time to do something for him and also maybe for Damiano as he sacrificed everything for me today. I want try to give back what they gave me today over the next few races.”
Quotes From the Finish Line:
Dylan Teuns:
“I knew from the UCI World Championships, and from the Vuelta before that, that I was coming into this race with some good form. It was a hard recovery after the Road Race Championships so I came here with some confidence but not entirely sure what I would be able to do. However, I felt good all day and that definitely gave me a lot of motivation to do a good job in the final.”
“We did everything as planned today with De Marchi going in an early move and that was a perfect situation for me but in the end, I didn’t need to go 100 percent for the win instead, I had to protect his position. It was a great win for him and I was happy to support him and cover some dangerous moves behind.”
“It was good to also finish on the podium and get my own result. I think I found the legs that I was looking for in the Spring today.”
Sports Director, Valerio Piva:
“To have two guys on the podium, and win the race, is fantastic. We knew coming into the race that we had the chance to make a good result as Ale, Dylan and Damiano were all in top shape. We discussed this morning that we wanted to have someone in the early breakaway and Alberto was the one who was attacking and it was good to have him out in front.”
“We were able to stay quiet in the bunch behind him before the race really heated up on the hard final circuits. Ale was moving early but he was very strong. With the rain, he was able to make a gap and in the end, he did a fantastic job. I am really happy for him and he deserved this victory.”
“Behind, we had Dylan staying with the bunch to help control and in the final kilometer he was able to stop Woods, which was a very important moment for us, before going on to finish third himself.”
“Everybody did their job today and was where they needed to be, when they needed to be there. It’s great to see a team motivated like the guys were today at this late point in the season.”
Race Profile
Giro dell’Emilia
One-day race: Bologna > San Luca, 207.4km
Top 3: 1. Alessandro De Marchi (BMC Racing Team) 2. Rigoberto Úran (EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale) 3. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing Team)
BMC Racing Team Top 3: 1. Alessandro De Marchi 3. Dylan Teuns 25. Kilian Frankiny
