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Gilbert nips Sánchez to win Lombardia

by VeloNews.com

• October 17, 2009
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Giro di Lombardia: Gilbert says he knew he had this one in the bag.

Photo: Agence France Presse

With four kilometers to go, it was obvious that an Italian wasn’t going to win Giro di Lombardia for the ninth consecutive year.

A Belgian and a Spaniard ? Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) – were 12 seconds clear of a chasing group that included three-time winner Damiano Cunego (Lampre), enough gap to end the Italian stranglehold on the season-concluding fall classic.

With reigning world champion Cadel Evans playing the role as super-domestique in the final climb at the San Fermo de la Batalla, Gilbert shot clear and only Olympic champion Sánchez could stay close.

Riding the form that delivered him victories at Coppa Sabatini, Paris-Tours and Giro del Piemonte earlier this month, Gilbert fended off Sánchez to claim his fourth win in the past 10 days and the first “monument” of his career.

Alexandr Kolobnev (Saxo Bank), silver medalist at the Mendrisio worlds, led the chasers through at four seconds back to round out the podium.

Giro di Lombardia: The fall classic in summer-like conditions.

Photo: Graham Watson

“It’s been such an incredible week for me and it’s just amazing to win such an important race,” a happy Gilbert said at the line. “It’s been an incredible run for me the past few days. I was strong at the worlds and I wanted to take advantage of it with these final races. To win here means so much to me.”

Just as the worlds proved a monkey off the back of Evans, finally winning one of cycling’s five “monuments” at Lombardia will also take some pressure off Gilbert, who’s come close to glory a major one-day classic before.

This year alone, he was third at the Tour of Flanders and fourth at both Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

After winning a stage at the Giro d’Italia, Gilbert skipped the Tour de France and raced the Vuelta a España to prepare for Mendrisio. He was active throughout the Spanish tour, finishing second in stage 11 and sixth in the final time trial to reveal his form was peaking just in time for the worlds.

In Switzerland, it was professional teammate Evans who made the winning move to claim the rainbow jersey, with Gilbert crossing the line with a solid sixth place.

Giro di Lombardia: Sanchez, Gilbert and Kolobnev.

Photo: Graham Watson

Frustrated by the close call for worlds glory, Gilbert turned that energy toward the final races of the season. He’s certainly gone out with a bang, claiming four wins in the past 10 days, including defending his win at Paris-Tours, to sweep the last major events of the 2009 season.

“After winning here, this will give me even more motivation to try to win Milan-San Remo and Liège next year,” Gilbert said. “I had good legs. Sánchez was strong on the final climb, but I was confident I could beat him in the final sprint. I am super happy.”

Evans came through with the Kolobnev group in 10th, with Daniel Martin (Garmin-Slipstream) crossing the line seventh.

Race Note
Spaniard Alberto Losada (Caisse d’Epargne), injured his right wrist in a crash. Losada suffered an apparent fracture of his Scaphoid bone, an injury that will be further analyzed upon his return to Barcelona.

Recent winners

1999: Mirko Celestino (I)
2000: Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu)
2001: Danilo Di Luca (I)
2002: Michele Bartoli (I)
2003: Michele Bartoli (I)
2004: Damiano Cunego (I)
2005: Paolo Bettini (I)
2006: Paolo Bettini (I)
2007: Damiano Cunego (I)
2008: Damiano Cunego (I)
2009: Philippe Gilbert (B)

Photo Gallery

Results

Results – 2009 Giro di Lombardia
1. Philippe Gilbert (B), Silence-Lotto, 242km in 5:43:46(41.54 kph)
2. Samuel Sanchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, same time
3. Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus), Saxo Bank, at 0:04
4. Luca Paolini (I), Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo, at 0:04
5. Johnny Hoogerland (Nl,), Vacansoleil, at 0:04
6. Robert Gesink (Nl), Rabobank, at 0:04
7. Alexander Vinokourov (Kz), Astana, at 0:04
8. Daniel Martin (Irl), Garmin, at 0:04
9. Juan Jose Cobo (Sp), Fuji-Servetto, at 0:04
10. Cadel Evans (Aus),Silence-Lotto, at 0:04
11. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 0:04
12. Christopher Horner (U.S.), Astana, at 0:04
13. Ivan Basso (I), Liquigas, at 0:04
14. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre-NGC, at 0:04
15. Francesco Masciarelli (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 0:10
16. Jakob Fuglsang (Dk), Saxo Bank, at 0:15
17. Mauro Santambrogio (I), Lampre-NGC, at 0:44
18. Dries Devenyns (B), Quick Step, at 0:46
19. Oliver Zaugg (Swi), Liquigas, at 0:46
20. Tadej Valjavec (Slo), Ag2r, at 0:46
21. Rigoberto Uran (Col), Caisse d’Epargne, at 0:46
22. Janez Brajkovic (Slo), Astana, at 0:46
23. Chris Sörensen (Dk), Saxo Bank, at 0:46
24. Alberto Fernandez (Sp), Fuji-Servetto, at 0:58
25. Dario Cataldo (I), Quick Step, at 1:15
26. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por), Caisse d’Epargne, at 1:15
27. Matteo Carrara (I), Vacansoleil , at 1:33
28. Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Sp), Quick Step, at 1:33
29. Alessandro Ballan (I), Lampre-NGC, at 1:33
30. Oscar Pujol Munoz (Sp), Cervélo TestTeam, at 1:55
31. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus), Katusha, at 2:01
32. Fabian Wegmann (G), Milram, at 2:01
33. Luca Mazzanti (I), Katusha, at 2:01
34. Kim Kirchen (Lux), Columbia-HTC, at 2:01
35. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Sp), Caisse d’Epargne, at 2:01
36. Maxime Monfort (B), Columbia-HTC, at 2:01
37. Gustav Larsson (S), Saxo Bank, at 2:01
38. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr), Caisse d’Epargne, at 2:08
39. Matthew Lloyd (Aus), Silence-Lotto, at 2:08
40. Philip Deignan (Irl), Cervélo TestTeam, at 2:28
41. David De La Fuente Rasilla (Sp), Fuji-Servetto, at 2:34
42. Paul Martens (G), Rabobank, at 2:34
43. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb), Vacansoleil , at 2:53
44. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus), Ag2r, at 2:53
45. Nico Sijmens (B), Cofidis , at 2:53
46. Craig Lewis (U.S.), Columbia-HTC, at 2:53
47. Jan Bakelandts (B), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 2:53
48. Mikael Cherel (F), Française Des Jeux, at 2:53
49. Ruggero Marzoli (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 2:53
50. Hubert Schwab (Swi), Quick Step, at 2:53
51. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo), Liquigas, at 2:53
52. Michal Golas (Pol), Vacansoleil , at 2:53
53. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz), Astana, at 2:53
54. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 2:53
55. Daniel Fleeman (GB), Cervélo TestTeam, at 2:53
56. Andrea Masciarelli (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 2:53
57. Sébastien Minard (F), Cofidis , at 2:53
58. Pavel Brutt (Rus), Katusha, at 2:53
59. Matteo Tosatto (I), Quick Step, at 2:53
60. Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz), Astana, at 2:53
61. Massimo Codol (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 2:53
62. Francesco Failli (I), Acqua e Sapone, at 2:53
63. Francesco Gavazzi (I), Lampre-NGC, at 2:53
64. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr), Cervélo TestTeam, at 2:53
65. Thomas Danielson (U.S.), Garmin-Slipstream, at 2:53
66. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Katusha, at 2:53
67. Eros Capecchi (I), Fuji-Servetto, at 2:53
68. Kevin De Weert (B), Quick Step, at 3:01
69. Giovanni Visconti (I), ISD, at 3:01
70. Bauke Mollema (Nl), Rabobank, at 3:09
71. Javier Aramendia Lorente (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 4:04
72. Evgeny Petrov (Rus), Katusha, at 4:03
73. Sven Renders (B), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 4:03
74. Nikita Eskov (Rus), Katusha, at 4:03
75. Johann Tschopp (Swi), BBox Bouygues Telecom, at 4:03
76. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr), Columbia-HTC, at 4:03
77. Johannes Fröhlinger (G), Milram, at 4:03
78. Michael Barry (Can), Columbia-HTC, at 4:03
79. Thomas Voeckler (F), BBox Bouygues Telecom, at 4:03
80. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol), Liquigas, at 6:02
81. Manuele Mori (I), Lampre-NGC, at 6:03
82. Ivan Santaromita (I), Liquigas, at 6:03
83. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 6:03
84. Ruslan Podgornyy (Ukr), ISD, at 6:03
85. Morris Possoni (I), Columbia-HTC, at 6:03
86. Christian Meier (Can), Garmin-Slipstream, at 6:19
87. Marco Pinotti (I), Columbia-HTC, at 6:52
88. Michele Scarponi (I), Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 6:53
89. Grischa Niermann (G), Rabobank, at 6:53
90. Bartosz Huzarski (Pol), ISD, at 6:53
91. Mickaël Buffaz (F), Cofidis , at 8:00
92. Lieuwe Westra (Nl), Vacansoleil , at 8:00
93. Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro), Liquigas, at 8:00
94. Serguei Klimov (Rus), Katusha, at 8:00
95. Nicolas Roche (Irl), Ag2r, at 8:00
96. Inaki Isasi Flores (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 8:00
97. Marco Marzano (I), Lampre-NGC, at 8:00
98. Fabrice Piemontesi (I), Fuji-Servetto, at 11:18
99. G. Luca Mirenda (I), ISD, at 11:19
100. Christophe Brandt (B), Silence-Lotto, at 11:19
101. Gerben Löwik (Nl), Vacansoleil , at 11:19
102. Lars Boom (Nl), Rabobank, at 11:19
103. Fabio Taborre (I), Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 11:19
104. Valerio Agnoli (I), Liquigas, at 11:19
105. Maryan Hary (F), Cofidis , at 11:19
106. Jean-Eudes Demaret (F), Cofidis , at 11:19
107. Reinier Honig (Nl), Vacansoleil , at 11:19
108. Olivier Kaisen (B), Silence-Lotto, at 16:17
109. Geert Steurs (B), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 16:17
110. Kristof Vandewalle (B), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 16:17
111. Thomas Rohregger (Aut), Milram, at 16:17
112. Cyril Dessel (F), Ag2r, at 16:17
113. Marco Velo (I), Quick Step, at 16:17
114. Alexandre Usov (Blr), Cofidis , at 16:17
115. Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukr), ISD, at 16:17
116. Huub Duyn (Nl), Garmin-Slipstream, at 16:17
117. Paul Voss (G), Milram, at 17:10
118. Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Sp), Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 17:10
119. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn), BBox Bouygues Telecom, at 17:10
120. Wouter Poels (Nl), Vacansoleil , at 17:20