The Italian was our highest-ranked rider at the end of Tuesday’s race on home turf.
Tre Valli Varesine was our team’s penultimate outing of the year in a one-day race, and the Wolfpack did their best again and came close to a top ten finish with Gianmarco Garofoli. Taking place between Busto Arsizio – the town nicknamed “Italy’s Manchester” in the 19th century thanks to its booming industry – and Varese, the host of the 2008 World Championships.
Two dozen climbs were on the menu of the race created back in 1919, and it came as no surprise that this selective course led to countless attacks, but it was only inside the final 25 kilometers that the main moves of the day came and the victory emerged. An attack of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) on the descent saw the World Champion open a small gap which he quickly took to almost a minute, leaving everyone else to fight for the minor places on the podium.
Behind, the peloton caught the chasers, but another group soon formed, and Soudal Quick-Step’s Gianmarco Garofoli was there. Top ten at the European Championships last weekend, the Italian was a strong presence there, taking some impressive pulls but still keeping something for the finale. Unfortunately, on the finishing straight, just as he was preparing to open his sprint, he was a bit boxed in and concluded outside the top ten this last race of the Trittico Lombardo.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
