Resplendent in the rainbow bands for the first time in a race, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) attacked with 37km to go to claim a solo victory in the 2024 Giro dell’Emilia.
The new world champion accelerated on the first of five ascents of the climb to San Luca which characterises this race. In the downpour which persisted throughout the race, Pogačar responded to an initial move by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick-Step), before attacking over the top of the double Olympic champion and quickly building his lead.
It was a quintessential Pogačar performance as he danced clear of the group, never to be seen by his competitors again and winning by a margin of almost two minutes.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won the dash from the pursuing group to take the runner-up spot, with Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Kometa) just behind him in third place. The rider who seemed most likely to challenge Pogačar, Evenepoel, pulled out of the race with around 25km to go.
“I must admit I felt really good all week since the Worlds and then when the rainbow kit arrived I felt a bit of pressure to perform but thankfully it went well. I gave my all today to show off the jersey. I’m very thankful to all the fans who were out there cheering in the rain for everybody. It was really amazing," Pogačar stated in team release..
"Today we had a plan to keep it hard until the last two lap but in the end Remco moved and it unfolded a lot earlier. Then there was attacks and I responded and pushed on but didn’t think it would go as it did. There are just two races left now this season and I’m looking forward to them."
The day’s breakaway of six riders moved away early in the race. It consisted of Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), Roberto González (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Ander Ganzabal (Euskaltel - Euskadi), Alessio Martinelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè), José Ramón Muñiz (Team Petrolike) and Dmitri Peyskens (Bingoal WB). They held a healthy lead above five minutes during the first half of the day.
The bigger teams drove the pace on to bring the group back before the first lap around San Luca, each of which included the famous winding 2.1km climb to the finish. Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) powered the front of the bunch, causing several splits on the approach to the first ascent with 38km to go.
The action began the very first time up the climb as Evenepoel made a half-hearted move. He was chased down immediately by Pogačar who soon accelerated over the top and went solo with an air of inevitability that’s been felt many times this season. Matteo Jorgensen (Visma-Lease a Bike) was the only rider to follow initially, but he wouldn’t last on the wheel of the Slovenian for long. The first time through the finish, Pogačar held a lead of 25 seconds with the chase in pieces behind. Evenepoel withdrew from the race less than a lap later.
The likes of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Pidcock attempted counter-attacks over the laps following, but Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates teammates kept things covered as their leader moved over a minute clear. Lipowitz managed to move away from the others on his second attempt on the penultimate lap. He looked certain to take the runner-up spot before being engulfed by the chasing group with just a kilometre left.
Pidcock, Piganzoli and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) were the best of the rest, going clear of the remnants of the chase in the final few hundred metres. The Ineos Grenadiers rider was quickest in the sprint for second.
Pogačar was peerless. His 24th victory of the 2024 season never looked in doubt as he now fixes his gaze on Il Lombardia next weekend, the final monument of the season.
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