(Photo © Theresa Gunn)
Nicolas Roche has shown his good form ahead of Saturday’s Tour of Lombardy, taking fifth in the 199km Gran Piemonte in Italy this afternoon.
His chances of victory were scuppered inside the final kilometre when some crafty riding from Daniel Moreno (Katusha) saw him clip off the front of the breakaway and just about hold off the chasers in an eyeballs out finish.
Tour of Beijing stage winner, Roche was part of a 31-man lead group that broke clear of the peloton 85km into the race after a very fast start.
The action from the start in Piasco was frantic as many riders tried to force a breakaway in what was one of their last chances to secure a good end of season result.
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The lead group worked well together and after 50kms up the road had pulled out a lead of almost eight minutes on a peloton that included many big names including Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto).
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On the rolling roads in the last hour’s racing, the lead group shed the weaker riders and a 14-man group that included Nicolas Roche emerged. These were: Thomas Löfkvist (Sky), Roche (Ag2r), Moreno, Rodriguez & Paolini (Katusha), Van Avermaet, Matthias Frank, Ivan Santaromita (BMC), Nibali, Oliver Zaugg, Bennati (Leopard Trek), Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Przemysław Niemiec (Lampre-ISD) and André Steensen (Saxo Bank-Sungard).
In the final few kilometres as the teams with a number of men in the escape tried to keep the group in tact for a sprint, both Roche and Voeckler put in what looked like race-winning digs before they were overhauled by the BMC-Katusha chase.
The Katusha duo of Moreno and Paolini played their cards beautifully in the finale, with Paolini letting a gap open as Moreno charged down a descent into the last kilometre. Moreno managed to hold the slim gap to the line for a fine win.
He was chased down hard by last weekend’s Paris-Tours winner Van Avermaet, who took second. Paolini was third, with strongmen Voeckler fourth and Roche fifth.
There was no mention of Philip Deignan or Daniel Martin in dispatches about the race. We will bring you news of their progress when we get it.
Result
1 Daniel Moreno Katusha 4:45:16
2 Greg Van Avermaet BMC
3 Luca Paolini Katusha
4 Thomas Voeckler Europcar
5 Nicolas Roche AG2R La Mondiale
6 Przemyslaw Niemiec Lampre-ISD
7 Daniele Bennati Leopard Trek
8 Andre Steensen Saxo Bank Sungard
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