Trofeo Laigueglia 2022 [FULL RACE] (italian)

March 2, 2022

Trofeo Laigueglia 2022 – Laigueglia – Laigueglia : 202 km

The 2017 Tour of Britain is a eight-stage men’s professional road cycling race. It is the fourteenth running of the modern version of the Tour of Britain and the 77th British tour in total. The race starts on 3 September in Edinburgh and finishes on 10 September in Cardiff. The race is part of the 2017 UCI Europe Tour.

Jan Polanc snatched victory for UAE Team Emirates at the Trofeo Laigueglia, catching the leading trio that included teammates Alessandro Covi and Juan Ayuso in the final kilometre and then jumping away to win alone.

Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) looked the strongest in the front trio but as they eased, Polanc got back on with Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers). When he kicked, Rota didn’t move and Rodriguez looked tired, surrendering victory.

In the sprint to the line Ayuso and Covi completed a UAE Team Emirates podium, with Rota finishing fourth.

“I felt good during the race. We knew that Covi was the fastest and so we worked for him. But I wanted to do all I could for the team with two laps to go, so I attacked,” Polanc said after the finish.

“That’s why I suffered on the final lap and was dropped but I didn’t give up. I saw they’d eased up, so I thought I’d go for it and attack them. It worked out.”

UAE Team Emirates set-up their dominance on the descent to the finishing circuits with 50km to go, placing six riders in the split of just 22.

“We knew the long descent to the start of the finishing circuits was dangerous so we went for it and rode on the front. We saw we’d got a gap and so we worked with Intermarché to make sure we stayed away.

“This win is for my family. I’m a domestique and so don’t win very often. But when I do, it’s emotional and so something to celebrate.”

How it unfolded
The opening race of the 2022 Italian season is a hard test of climbing and descending skills on the Liguarian coast, with Laigueglia only 50km from San Remo. The Capo Mele climb, one of the first in Milan-San Remo, is the final obstacle of the 202km race.

The first race route rides east along the coast and then into the steep Ligurian valleys over the Cima Paravernna and Testico before returning to Laigueglia for four 10.8km circuits of the Colla Micheri headland. The final climb is short but steep, with the descent equally testing. Poor descenders are advised to avoid the Trofeo Laigueglia.

This year’s race was held in the sun, with 165 riders starting the race but with Gazprom-Rusvelo pulled at the last minute due to the UCI ban on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

The early break dominated the racing until 60km to go and the long descent to Laigueglia for the finishing circuits.

A group of over 22 riders went off the front on the nerve-wracking descent with Trek-Segafredo surprisingly missing the move. However, UAE Team Emirates, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert and Ineos Grenadiers were there in numbers and decided to take on the race as Trek-Segafredo tried to mount a chase to get Giulio Ciccone back in the race.

Up front were Davide Formolo, Ivo Oliveira, Jan Polanc, Alessandro Covi, Joel Suter, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), Jan Bakelants, Théo Delacroix, Simone Petilli, Lorenzo Rota, Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Eddie Dunbar, Carlos Rodriguez, Salvatore Puccio, Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers), Samuele Battistella, Fabio Felline, Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan), David Gaudu, Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama-FDJ), and Lukasz Owsian (Arkéa-Samsic).

Some were dropped after driving the break to the finish area and the foot of the Colla Micheri climb and others were shaken out on each lap of the climb and descent.

UAE Team Emirates rightly went on the attack on each climb and always had a numerical advantage as the kilometre ticked down, with a crash on the descent taking out Gaudu, Dunbar, Battistella and Formolo.

Ciccone tried a solo chase from the peloton with two laps and 20km to race but quickly faded, with the attackers still a minute up the road. The front group split on the penultimate descent, with Porte struggling on the descent in a battle of nerves and numerical supremacy for UAE Team, Emirates.

Polanc attacked early on the last climb but was carefully pulled back by Rota who looked the strongest. However, he was outnumbered, even when he got away with Ayuso and Covi on the final descent, he had to ride along the coast to the finish to stop Polanc and Rodriguez getting back on.

Ayuso and Covi seemed unsure of how to ride against faster finisher Rota over the Capo Mele for the last time and risked an embarrassing defeat. Fortunately, Rodriguez dragged never-say-die Polanc back up to them and then the Slovenian used his last drops of energy to make a late solo attack just as the leading trio were caught.

Rota did not react and so lost any chance of victory, setting up UAE Team Emirates for their 1-2-3 finish.

Results :
1 Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 5:02:25
2 Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:02
3 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
4 Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
5 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:08
6 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis 0:00:24
7 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:32
8 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
9 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10 Clément Champoussin (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
11 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
12 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:34
13 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
14 Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team 0:01:13
15 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroen Team 0:01:16
16 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic 0:01:18
17 Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Cofidis 0:01:30
18 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 0:01:35
19 Paul Lapeira (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
20 Simone Velasco (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
21 Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
22 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
23 Thomas Pesenti (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
24 Natnael Tesfazion (Eri) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
25 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
26 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ
27 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:38
28 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:02:08
29 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis 0:02:11
30 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
31 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
32 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
33 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
34 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
35 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
36 Alessandro Verre (Ita) Arkea-Samsic
37 Lenny Martinez (Fra) Groupama-FDJ Continental
38 Davide Bais (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team 0:03:34
39 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team 0:03:53
40 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
41 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli 0:03:57
42 Nicola Venchiarutti (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek 0:05:28
43 Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
44 Andrea Garosio (Ita) Biesse-Carrera
45 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis
46 Mattia Bais (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
47 Mattia Guasco (Ita) Team Qhubeka
48 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
49 Simone Petilli (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
50 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
51 Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
52 Omar El Gouzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
53 Ivan Moreno Sanchez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
54 Marco Murgano (Ita) Team Corratec
55 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
56 Juan Diego Alba Bolivar (Col) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
57 Winner Anacona (Col) Arkea-Samsic
58 Urko Berrade Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
59 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:06:26
60 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:07:22
61 Mattia Petrucci (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan 0:07:23
62 Gil Gelders (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB Development Team 0:08:24
63 Leander Van Hautegem (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB Development Team 0:08:26
64 Simon Pellaud (Swi) Trek-Segafredo 0:08:49
65 Filippo Conca (Ita) Lotto Soudal
66 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
67 Anders Foldager (Den) Biesse-Carrera
68 Jaakko Hänninen (Fin) AG2R Citroen Team
69 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
70 Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
71 Samuele Carpene (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
72 Riccardo Lucca (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
73 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
74 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
75 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
76 Kevin Bonaldo (Ita) Team Qhubeka
77 Luca Cibrario (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
78 Diego Pablo Sevilla Lopez (Spa) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
79 Francesco Carollo (Ita) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Clément Berthet (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
DNF Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Gianni Moscon (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Davide Villella (Ita) Cofidis
DNF David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Théo Delacroix (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Quinten Hermans (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Laurens Huys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Davide Formolo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Joel Suter (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Alex Tolio (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Alessio Nieri (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Thibault Ferasse (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Miguel Heidemann (Ger) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Louis Blouwe (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Marco Tizza (Ita) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Drone Hopper – Androni Giocattoli
DNF Didier Norberto Merchan Cardona (Col) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
DNF Diego Rosa (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
DNF Mirco Maestri (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
DNF Sergio Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Francisco Galvan Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Ivan Cobo Cayon (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
DNF Dayer Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic
DNF Michele Scartezzini (Ita) Italy
DNF Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) TotalEnergies
DNF Juri Zanotti (Ita) Italy
DNF Nadir Colledani (Ita) Italy
DNF Andrea Piras (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
DNF Matteo Freddi (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
DNF Pietro Aimonetto (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
DNF Andrea Biancalani (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
DNF Mattia Gardi (Ita) Beltrami TSA Tre Colli
DNF Giacomo Villa (Ita) Biesse-Carrera
DNF Michael Belleri (Ita) Biesse-Carrera
DNF Riccardo Ciuccarelli (Ita) Biesse-Carrera
DNF Mattias Nordal (Den) Biesse-Carrera
DNF Lorenzo Roda (Ita) Biesse-Carrera
DNF Marco Palomba (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Ettore Pozza (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Francesco Busatto (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Riccardo Tosin (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Filippo D’Aiuto (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Carlo Francesco Favretto (Ita) General Store-Essegibi-f.lli Curia
DNF Paul Double (GBr) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Jacopo Cortese (Ita) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Guido Draghi (Ita) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Daan Hoeks (Ned) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Maximilian Stedman (GBr) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Simone Piccolo (Ita) MG.K Vis Colors for Peace VPM
DNF Lorenzo Balestra (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Alessandro Baroni (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Egidio Karim Raviele (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Matteo Ambrosini (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Gidas Umbri (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
DNF Simone Olivero (Ita) Team Corratec
DNF Matteo Amella (Ita) Team Corratec
DNF Davide Baldaccini (Ita) Team Corratec
DNF Stefano Gandin (Ita) Team Corratec
DNF Lorenzo Iacchi (Ita) Team Corratec
DNF Jan Stöckli (Swi) Team Corratec
DNF Negasi Haylu Abreha (Eth) Team Qhubeka
DNF Ghebrehiwet Birhane (Eri) Team Qhubeka
DNF Alessandro Iacchi (Ita) Team Qhubeka
DNF Nicolo’ Parisini (Ita) Team Qhubeka
DNF Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
DNF Lorenzo Ginestra (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
DNF Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek
DNS Sergei Chernetskii (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Nikolai Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Nicola Conci (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Michael Kukrle (Cze) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Mathias Vacek (Cze) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNS Jacopo Menegotto (Ita) Team Qhubeka