Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) set out is intentions for Il Lombardia early on when he went to recon the final 100 kilometres of the route and he used that experience to take an impressive solo victory in Como on Sunday. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) put in a valiant chase but couldn’t match the descending skills of the Italian and took second place. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) came home in third to complete the podium. It was Nibali's first Monument victory of his career.
“I’ve always wanted to win a race of this stature and of this kind and it was my time to win it,” Nibali said at the finish. “To win a Monument you also have to be lucky. It has been a great day.”
Nibali had looked strong throughout the day, even taking to the front of the bunch on the formidable Muro di Sormano. Astana had strength in numbers too, driving the pace and shedding some serious rivals in the process. Nibali still had Diego Rosa for company when it came to the two crucial, final, climbs and the pair worked together to put their rivals under pressure.
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It wasn’t until near the top of the Civiglio that Nibali threw a move up the middle of a seven-man group. He pulled out a fair advantage but he really made the difference on the twisting descent, as he pushed the limits of the road. After the hair-raising ride down the other side, the Italian had 40 seconds as the chasers behind struggled to mount a proper challenge.
Rosa helped his elder teammate out, running down anyone who did dare to try and chase him down. Moreno helped to bring back plenty of moves and it even looked like he was working for fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). There was no doubt about his intentions when he brought back a move by Pinot with six kilometres to go. Another kick on the tougher slopes of the San Fermo della Battaglia saw him shed the Frenchman.
At one point it seemed like only a matter of time that he would close down Nibali but the Italian’s superior descending skills proved vital once again and he had enough time to celebrate in the final 300 metres.
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