Chaves wins Il Lombardia
03 October 2016
Esteban Chaves concluded his incredible 2016 season with a magnificent victory in the 110th edition of II Lombardia, writing his name into the history books as the first Colombian to ever win a monument. The impressive victory today comes after a strong run of form this year, including two Grand Tour podiums at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, and provides ORICA-BikeExchange with their second monument this season following Australian Mathew Hayman's win at Paris-Roubaix.
The 241kilometre action-packed race saw Chaves dominate on the climbs, attacking at the base of the penultimate climb, the Selvino, to create a leading group of four riders battling it out for victory. With patience and confidence, Chaves launched out of the wheels in the final moments to take out a three-up sprint. "It was a dream for me to win Il Lombardia,” explained Chaves after his victory. “I can't believe I've won this race. This is a monument. When I turned professional, I settled down here in Bergamo. I knew the roads but I wasn't sure if I could win today. In the final, I tried to make a difference on the cobbles but Rigoberto (Uran) followed so I had to stay calm and go for the sprint, which is not my forte but I gave everything and I'm so happy that I made it.”
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