Surprise, joy, tears at the end of an exceptional race. Filippo Conca of Swatt Club is the new Italian champion! No one had included Conca among the favorites, but he and his teammates raced aggressively from the first kilometers.
Lorenzo Ginestra and Francesco Carollo were protagonists of the day's breakaway together with Manlio Moro (Movistar), Samuele Zoccarato (Polti VisitMalta) and Alessandro Iacchi (Solution Tech Vini Fantini). Then in the finale, Mattia Gaffuri and Filippo Conca took action when the race ignited on the San Floriano climb at Collio.
Ganna lost contact, and after him, Milan also couldn't sustain the pace of the best riders. Davide Foirmolo moved well, but he crashed about ten kilometers from the finish, taking Luca Cretti, another Swatt rider, down with him.
In the finale, a small group formed with Conca, Aleotti, Covi, and Pesenti, to which Gaffuri, Conca's teammate, rejoined with two kilometers to go. Behind them, Baroncini and Buratti were caught by a Milan who had spent himself greatly in the chase.
On the finishing straight, Covi was the first to launch the sprint, but Conca passed him right on the finish line.
Conca is 26 years old, wore the Lotto jersey for two years and the Q36.5 jersey for another two, then remained without a contract and accepted the challenge of Swatt Club, a Lecco-based amateur team with which he particularly participates in gravel races. His best result of the season before today was 3rd place in The Traka 200 in Spain, won by former pro Danish rider Mads Wurtz Schmid.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. CONCA Filippo (Swatt Club) in 5:15:21
2. COVI Alessandro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
3. PESENTI Thomas (Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team)
4. ALEOTTI Giovanni (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)
5. GAFFURI Mattia (Swatt Club)
6. BARONCINI Filippo (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) at 0:10
7. MILAN Jonathan (Lidl - Trek) at 0:11
8. BURATTI Nicolò (Bahrain - Victorious) at 0:13
9. BUSATTO Francesco (Intermarchè - Wanty) at 0:28
10. PARISINI Nicolò (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
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Ritratti
Oscar
Albi d'Oro
