Alberto Bettiol wears the tricolor on his home streets. The standard bearer of EF Education-Easypost is the new Italian champion, after winning the Per Semper Alfredo, which was valid as a competition for the national title in 2024 and dedicated to Alfredo Martini, with whom he had a particular bond: as a boy he helped him in writing his thesis on Gino Bartali by lending him a book with an attached dedication.
A great satisfaction for the native of Poggibonsi, a true star of the last 60 kilometres, making the right action go away and raising hell on Monte Morello, going on the last climb and beating Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty) and Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious), as well as having the chance to bring the tricolor to the Tour de France.
It takes almost 50 kilometers to witness the first real shots. Tommaso Nencini (Zalf Euromobil Fior) and Federico Biagini (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) break the deadlock and many people begin to move behind them. Having resumed a nine-way attempt with Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), 15 of them then left: Luca Mozzato (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Samuele Zambelli and Davide Baldaccini (Team corratec – Vini Fantini), Giovanni De Carlo (Zalf Euromobil Fior), Micheal Belleri (Hopplà Petroli Firenze Don Camillo), Federico Biagini, Samuele Zoccorato, Lorenzo Conforti and Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè), Filippo Conca (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Mirco Maestri (Team Polti Kometa), Alessandro Monaco (Team corratec – Vini Fantini), Matteo Zurlo (UC Trevigiani Energiapura Marchiol), Filippo Tagliani (Vini Monzon Savini Due OMZ) and Andrea Guerra (Zalf Euromobil Fior).
The group lets it go, but up to a certain point. The fifteen in advance reach the two-minute margin, they pass Croci di Calenzano with Zambelli and Tagliani raising the white flag while Conca, Belleri and Zurlo give up on the first ascent of Monte Morello. So the group gets closer and closer and the race breaks out the usual, reckless Alberto Bettiol, with Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious), Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty), Marco Frigo (Israel-PremierTech) and Samuele Zoccarato (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) following him. A small group forms behind with Ciccone, Ganna, Formolo, Zana and Aleotti as the leading names.
Bettiol knows he can make a difference on Monte Morello and is looking forward to it wisely. He does the dress rehearsal on the penultimate lap and takes out Marco Frigo, while on the last lap, with the Ganna group starting to approach, he puts his opponents to the test by sprinting one kilometer from the GPM: he becomes a soloist in the last eight kilometres, savoring the moment and being able to celebrate in front of his audience, in a race he felt so.
By the editorial staff of Inbici News24 and OA Sport
Copyright © Reproduction Reserved Inbici Media Group
