The Belgian Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) showed its status as the favorite to win the 104th edition of the 104th edition of Bernocchi Cupa one-day Italian classic contested between Parabiago and Legnano with a route of 186.65 km.
The 29-year-old classicomaniac from Herentals, runner-up in Europe and in the World on the road, was the strongest of the chosen and was able to achieve with success the good work of his team to raise his arms at the time 4h .09.53, at an average of 44.83 km/hour, ahead of the Italians Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo Kometa) and Andrea Bagioli (Soudal Quick Step).
That is why Van Aert presented his candidacy for Il Lombardía next Saturday, the last monument of the year, this time disputing very important runners, such as the French Julian Alaphilippe and the Swiss Marc Hirschi.
The race held since 1919 is part of the Lombard triptych with the Agostoni Cup and the Three Varese Valleys and consists of an undulating route with 7 climbs to the Caramamma, known as the “little Stelvio”, a height of 1.5 km up the 6.7 percent gradient. After the halfway point of the race, a group of 7 runners continued to march ahead, making the day fun.
Warbasse (AG2R Citroën), De Tier (Bingoal WB), Moniquet (Lotto Dstny), Cialone (TotalEnergies), Piras (Beltrami TSA – Tre Colli), Belleri (Biesse – Carrera) and the Colombian Jeferson Armando Tuiz Acuña (GW Shimano- Sidermec).
At the back, Wout Van Aert’s Jumbo-Visma team took control before tackling a tough circuit full of climbs. The first sprinters give up, like Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates), and the distance to the escapees falls.
Jumbo-Visma deployed an offensive and the Slovenian Jan Tratnik broke the breakaway and the peloton, leaving only 9 men in front 33 kilometers from the finish line, with Tiesj Benoot, Wout Van Aert ( Jumbo-Visma), Julian Alaphilippe, Fausto Masnada, Andrea Bagioli (Soudal Quick-Step). Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates), Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan) and Vincenzo Albanese (EOLO Kometa).
There is no point in chasing even if the understanding in the head is not perfect. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, double world champion, attacked 2 kilometers from the finish line, but Jumbo-Visma wanted a sprint and he got it.
Van Aert did the rest, going unbeaten at the finishing line and sealing his 44th professional victory, his sixth of the season. A victory that serves to replace the Italian Davide Ballerini in the Bernocchi Cup record.
“It’s nice to get a win after a season where I missed a lot of chances to win. It feels good to raise my arms again, especially after a great team performance,” Van Aert said upon arrival.
Van Aert, who will now face Tres Valles Varesinos and Gran Piemonte, dedicated his sixth victory of the season to the people who always believed in him.
“I want to dedicate this victory to the people who continue to believe in me, my family, my coach, my team. Today, the teammates who were at the start gave everything to control the race and we achieved it, so it was really “It was a pleasure to finish the job successfully,” he commented.
Although eager to rest, Van Aert will make one last effort to add more victories: I still have two races left this season, the Tres Valles Varesinosa and the Gran Piemonte, and I am focused on that. I also want to rest a little. “I will continue trying to improve next season, but for now I’m still thinking about winning my remaining two races,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
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