Enric Mas wins the Giro de Emilia ahead of Pogacar

The Spanish cyclist Enric Mas won this Saturday in the 106th edition of the Giro de Emilia after almost five hours of crossing in which he starred in an intense duel in the final kilometers with the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, second, and in which the Spanish Alejandro Valverde He finished in fourth position.

Valverde was the center of the spotlight during this preparatory race for the Giro de Lombardia on October 8. The Spaniard, who will end his race next week (and who had just finished second in the Agostoni Cup), and the two-time Tour de France champion Pogacar, were the top contenders to crown these 198.7 km between Carpi and San Luke. However, it was Mas who challenged the giant Pogacar in one of the most prestigious peaks in Italian cycling, the arrival at the Sanctuary of San Luca, which he crowned after 2.2 km of ascent with gradients greater than 10%.

The start of the race was very calm. With a high average speed of about 47 km per hour, due to the initial line run, the first escape of the group took place in charge of Geoffrey Bouchard, Rick Pluimers, Johan Meens, Jacopo Guarnieri and Kobe Goossens, who endured without problems. the two initial heights, Ca’ Bortolami (km 87) and Medelana (km 127), longer than the last final height.

It was in the final kilometers, specifically when they reached the final circuit, when the peloton, which had come to have a three-minute disadvantage, began to cut seconds off the escapees, and they fell one by one in a sudden way. The one who resisted the most was Goossens, who was left alone in the lead with 30km to go, but the peloton led by UAE and Movistar Team caught up with him 10km later. The critical part of the race was launched at that moment. UAE and Movistar measured each other for a few kilometers, until the Italian Formolo increased the pace and separated the peloton with a group of 25 cyclists who followed in his wake and in which the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who disappeared in the race, was not.

Formolo fulfilled his part as a hare for his teammate Pogacar and less than 10km from the finish line, with one more lap to go, the intense duel between Pogacar and Enric Mas began. The Spaniard attacked, but the Slovenian withstood the onslaught, who was caught off guard by the initiative of the 27-year-old Movistar cyclist. Behind them, a group of seven in which Valverde was, on the prowl. They could do little against the pace imposed by the leaders. The chasing group was then reduced to three in the final part of the route, when the legs began to fail after three consecutive climbs with ramps that reached 18% gradient. The Colombian Urán, the Italian Pozzovivo and Valverde were strong, who managed to get dangerously close to the leading pair, generating numerical superiority on the part of the Movistar Team. The five riders endured almost wheel to wheel until, with 2km to go, Mas signed the final attack. Fresh, with a light pedaling and after almost five hours, the Spaniard put the Slovenian in check, who tried to keep up but had to fight with Pozzovivo for second place in the final meters.

With a time of 4 hours, 55 minutes and 32 seconds, Mas, twice runner-up in the Vuelta España, collected the crown from Slovenian Primoz Roglic and was proclaimed champion on Italian lands of this Giro de Emilia 2022, a preparatory test for The Lombardy, the last dance of Alejandro Valverde, who will retire after completing the tour. Second Pogacar crossed the finish line, 13 seconds later. Pozzovivo third and Valverde fourth.

You can follow EL PAÍS Sports in Facebook Y Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.