2016 Giro dell'Emilia (HC) Results
99th edition: Saturday, September 24, 2016
Giro dell'Emilia podium history | 2015 edition | 2017 edition | Race map | Race photos
Saturday, September 24: Bologna - San Luca, Italy. 213 km
Esteban Chaves wins 2016 Giro dell'Emilia
The Race: Here's the story from winner Esteban Chaves' Orica-BikeExchange team:
Two-time Grand Tour podium finisher Esteban Chaves backed up his recent Vuelta a Espana performance to claim the victory in one-day Italian race Giro dell’Emilia today.
Chaves waited patiently before making a well-timed attack in the final moments of the 213km race to steal the victory at the top of the tough two kilometre San Luca climb.
ORICA-BikeExchange animated much of the day with Vuelta a España stage winner Jens Keukeleire represented in the main breakaway of eight riders, as the rest of the team waited attentively in the peloton protecting Chaves ahead of the final laps.
The Colombian displayed his calm, classy style by powering ahead of the leaders in the final metres to take the victory for the team in his first race back since his podium finish at the Tour of Spain.
“It was a really good day for the team,” explained Chaves after the win. “I know the climb because I did this race four years ago so I know that everyone usually attacks early in the final. I stayed calm and just followed Fabio Aru because his team Astana were working a lot. In the last 500metres when everyone was without fire I tried.
“It is good that I had the legs to win as the team today was unbelievable. We had Keukeleire in the break and then Jack Haig, Damien Howson and Amets Txurruka put me in good position before the final circuit so it was really good.”
Along with Chaves, sport director Dave McPartland was overjoyed with the victory and praised the whole team for their efforts and commitment through the race. “Everyone did their job well,” said McPartland. “With Keukeleire in the break we didn’t have to ride at all in the wind and could just look after the key guys and it all went to plan for us today.”
“We remained calm all race and we knew Chaves needed to go in final few hundred metres and that's exactly what he did. It takes a lot of experience to do that, you have to be super calm and patient and he did that perfectly today.”
How it happened: As the first race of a series of one-day Italian events, the Giro dell’Emilia opened up with a predominantly flat first 50kilometres.
ORICA-BikeExchange were quickly in and amongst the action as attacks came in an attempt to form an early breakaway. Vuelta a España stage winner Keukeleire rode himself in to the successful move of eight riders, given some freedom by the peloton enabling them to ride out to a four minute 30second advantage.
As the leaders made their way up the longest climb of the day the Passo Brasimone the time gap decreased slightly to just over three minutes.
The kilometres ticked down and the escapees approached the 9.3kilometres finishing circuit ready for five ascents of the 2.1kilometre climb San Luca which averaged out at a steep 10% gradient.
With just 30kilometres to go three of the initial breakaway riders broke clear again and led the race but with a fierce chase from the peloton the lead dropped to just two minutes. The remaining peloton began to deteriorate due to a rapid pace and the trio were all eventually reeled in as they began the closing lap.
With the front group finally all back together, again three riders immediately attacked at the base of the climb with Chaves waiting patiently behind before the Colombian launched a brave late attack to over take and steal the victory.
Tomorrow the team are back in action in GP Bruno Beghelli with a similar team line up searching for a consecutive victory.
Complete Results:
213 kilometers raced at an average speed of 41.565 km/hr
| 1 | CHAVES Esteban | ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE | 5hr 7min 28sec |
| 2 | BARDET Romain | AG2R LA MONDIALE | @ 3sec |
| 3 | URAN Rigoberto | CANNONDALE-DRAPAC | st |
| 4 | ARU Fabio | ASTANA PRO TEAM | st |
| 5 | BAKELANTS Jan | AG2R LA MONDIALE | a 10" |
| 6 | TORRES Rodolfo | ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI | st |
| 7 | HIVERT Jonathan | FORTUNEO-VITAL CONCEPT | a 11" |
| 8 | ULISSI Diego | LAMPRE - MERIDA | a 14" |
| 9 | VILLELLA Davide | CANNONDALE-DRAPAC | st |
| 10 | ANTON Igor | TEAM DIMENSION DATA | st |
| 11 | LOPEZ Armentia | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | a 17" |
| 12 | LATOUR Pierre-Roger | AG2R LA MONDIALE | st |
| 13 | REICHENBACH Sébastien | FDJ | st |
| 14 | MEURISSE Xandro | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | st |
| 15 | SCHLECK Frank | TREK SEGAFREDO | a 20" |
| 16 | PELLIZOTTI Franco | ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI | a 23" |
| 17 | MOLARD Rudy | COFIDIS | st |
| 18 | TALIANI Alessio | ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI | st |
| 19 | WOODS Michael | CANNONDALE-DRAPAC | st |
| 20 | HERMANS Ben | BMC RACING TEAM | st |
| 21 | BONGIORNO Francesco | BARDIANI CSF | a 30" |
| 22 | POZZOVIVO Domenico | AG2R LA MONDIALE | a 41" |
| 23 | PARDILLA Sergio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | a 47" |
| 24 | MARTÍNEZ Daniel | WILIER TRIESTINA-SOUTHEAST | st |
| 25 | ATAPUMA Darwin | BMC RACING TEAM | st |
| 26 | HARDY Romain | COFIDIS | a 52" |
| 27 | REBELLIN Davide | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | st |
| 28 | CHEREL Mikael | AG2R LA MONDIALE | a 1' 50" |
| 29 | VISCONTI Giovanni | MOVISTAR TEAM | st |
| 30 | MATE Luis Angel | COFIDIS | a 2' 03" |
| 31 | LIETAER Eliot | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | a 2' 04" |
| 32 | FINETTO Mauro | UNIEURO WILIER | a 2' 08" |
| 33 | GESBERT Elie | FORTUNEO-VITAL CONCEPT | a 2' 09" |
| 34 | BUSATO Matteo | WILIER TRIESTINA-SOUTHEAST | a 2' 17" |
| 35 | GODOY Yonder | WILIER TRIESTINA-SOUTHEAST | a 2' 24" |
| 36 | BENEDETTI Cesare | BORA - ARGON 18 | st |
| 37 | SCARPONI Michele | ASTANA PRO TEAM | a 2' 33" |
| 38 | VILELA Ricardo | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | st |
| 39 | GILBERT Philippe | BMC RACING TEAM | a 2' 36" |
| 40 | DE MARCHI Alessandro | BMC RACING TEAM | a 2' 53" |
| 41 | ELISSONDE Kenny | FDJ | a 3' 10" |
| 42 | VELASCO Simone | BARDIANI CSF | st |
| 43 | ROSA Diego | ASTANA PRO TEAM | a 3' 48" |
| 44 | GROSSCHARTNER Felix | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | st |
| 45 | LASTRA Jonathan | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | a 4' 30" |
| 46 | PETILLI Simone | LAMPRE - MERIDA | a 4' 48" |
| 47 | CARAPAZ Richard | MOVISTAR TEAM | a 4' 53" |
| 48 | ZARDINI Edoardo | BARDIANI CSF | a 5' 05" |
| 49 | FIRSANOV Sergey | GASPROM RUSVELO | a 5' 12" |
| 50 | CARUSO Damiano | BMC RACING TEAM | st |
| 51 | TXURRUKA Amets | ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE | a 6' 30" |
| 52 | JEANNESSON Arnold | COFIDIS | st |
| 53 | CUNEGO Damiano | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | a 6' 33" |
| 54 | EIKING Odd Christian | FDJ | st |
| 55 | RAVASI Edward | LAMPRE-MERIDA | st |
| 56 | ZEITS Andrey | ASTANA PRO TEAM | st |
| 57 | DUPONT Hubert | AG2R LA MONDIALE | st |
| 58 | TECCHIO Marco | UNIEURO WILIER | st |
| 59 | DEGAND Thomas | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | st |
| 60 | MARTIN Guillaume | WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT | st |
| 61 | HIRT Jan | CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | st |
| 62 | ZILIOLI Gianfranco | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI | st |
| 63 | SEPULVEDA Eduardo | FORTUNEO-VITAL CONCEPT | a 6' 50" |
| 64 | BARBIN Enrico | BARDIANI CSF | a 7' 00" |
| 65 | NARDIN Alberto | ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI | st |
| 66 | VAN HECKE Preben | TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | st |
2016 Giro dell'Emilia course map
2016 Giro dell'Emilia map
2016 Giro dell'Emilia photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:
Lampre-Merida is presented as part of the starting ceremonies
It is time to start racing
Climbing in Bologna
Philippe Gilbert
Daniel Moreno
Diego Rosa
Chris Sorensen
Esteban Chaves gets a beautiful solo win
Another shot of Chaves winning
Looks like Chaves won a lovely Faience plate
The podium, from left: Romain Bardet (2nd), Esteban Chaves and Rigoberto Uran (3rd).