Vincenzo Nibali did not ride the Gran Piemonte race on Friday but still spent several hours in the rain as autumn arrived early in northern Italy, studying the new finale of Il Lombardia with directeur sportif Giuseppe Martinelli to carefully prepare Astana’s race tactics.
After being expelled from the Vuelta a Espana for holding onto a team car, Nibali’s season seemed virtually over but he has got his season back on track by winning the Coppa Bernocchi and most recently Wednesday’s Tre Valli Varesine. His solo attack on the final climb of the one-day semi-Classic was enough to shake off his post-World Championships jet lag and confirm he will be a contender at Il Lombardia. With the Astana team dominating the Tre Valli Varesine and Diego Rosa also winning the Milan-Turin race, Astana is expected to be the strongest ream in the final Classic of the season, despite Fabio Aru and Paolo Tiralongo absent because they are riding the Tour of Almaty in Kazakhstan to please the team’s sponsors.
Nibali can count on support from Mikel Landa, in his final major race before moving to Team Sky, Diego Rosa, Michele Scarponi, Dario Cataldo, loyal domestiques Alessandro Vanotti and Valerio Agnoli, plus young Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez –the winner of the 2014 Tour de l’Avenir.
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Nibali rode south into Italy from his home in Lugano, Switzerland to ride the final part of the new Il Lombardia course. He avoided the double-digit Muro of Sormano and focused on the Civiglio and the San Fermo -the two climbs expected to decide the race.
“It’s hard!!” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I rode the Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia, it’s a complex finish and will be even tougher if it rains.”
Nibali has ridden Il Lombardia eight times during his career but his Grand Tour goals mean he is rarely at his best. His best result was fifth in 2010, while he went on a long attack on the Ghisallo in 2011. Back then he was still with Liquigas. Now he is the Astana team leader and protected rider. He will have the support of Michele Scarponi, Mikel Landa, Milan-Turin winner Diego Rosa, Dario Cataldo, Alessandro Vanotti, Valerio Agnoli and talented young Colombia Miguel Angel Lopez.
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