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Brazil's Fischer takes Piemonte
It looks like Brazil might have its first real break-out star on its hands after another thrilling victory by Murilo Fischer.
Just last weekend, Fischer beat Paolo Bettini in the GP Beghelli and he quietly finished fifth in the world championships in Madrid last month.
Taking advantage of his late-season form, Fischer shot to another impressive win in Thursday’s Giro del Piemonte in northern Italy.
An early breakaway was reeled in with just 8km to go to set up the sprinters. The South American held off Steven De Jongh (Rabobank) to carve his eighth win on the year.
“This win is very important, my goal this year was to try to win a classic,” said the 26-year-old Brazilian. “The team was fundamental. In the finale they steered me through the bunch. I still have good form and I wanted to take out the thorn in my side after the world’s. I don’t know if I can win Lombardia, it’s not a distance that suits me, but I will try to do as well as I can and aim for a good result.”
Some 155 riders from 20 teams started the season’s penultimate big race (Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia closes out the 2005 European racing calendar). The hilly course in northern Italy provided a nice preview of what’s in store in the even more difficult Lombardia route.
Early in the race, seven riders chugged off the front, among them were: Jose Ivan Gutierrez and Alejandro Valverde (both Illes Balears), Emannuele Sella (Panaria), Oscar Sevilla (T-Mobile), Carlos Sastre (CSC), Koos Moerenhout (Davitamon-Lotto) and Andriy Grivko (Domina Vacanze).
Lampre-Caffita, starting with pre-race favorite Gilberto Simoni, sent its men to the front to control the distance to the quality breakaway at around two minutes after two hours of racing.
The gap hovered around there over La Morra climb, with Fassa Bortolo and Naturino-Sapore helping to control the pace in the main bunch.
The gap dropped quickly as the leaders hit the Manforte d’Alba at 135km. The pace up the final climb took the wind out of the sails of the breakaway, leaving only Sella, Moerenhout, Gutierrez and Grivko off the front with 20km to go.
With 10km to go, the sprint was imminent and Sella tried one last gasp to stay away, but was reeled in with 8km to set up the mass arrival.
Fischer did nice work to finish off the victory ahead of De Jongh (Rabobank), Paride Grillo (Panaria) and Alberto Ongarato (Fassa Bortolo). Chris Horner (Saunier Duval) finished 89th at 27 seconds back while Christian Vande Velde (CSC) did not finish.
