Belgian Gilbert ends season with Tour of Lombardy win
By Stephen Farrand
COMO, Italy, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert ended the season by winning the hilly 242-km Tour of Lombardy on Saturday.
It was his fourth consecutive victory in 10 days after also winning the Coppa Sabatini, Paris-Tours and Grande Piemonte races.
Gilbert attacked six kilometres from the finish, near the top of the last climb.
Only Spain’s Samuel Sanchez was able to go with him but Gilbert beat the Olympic road race champion in the sprint in the centre of Como.
Russia’s Alexandr Kolobnev finished third, seven seconds adrift, to bring home a group of chasers.
“It’s great to win this race and take four in a row,” Gilbert told reporters.
“This is usually a really hard race but with my form at the moment, I can climb, sprint and do everything. I’m really strong.
BIG RACES
“It’s a pity the season is over but it’s great to end it with a big win. A lot of people said I can’t win big races but I’ve proved them wrong.”
Gilbert’s team mate and new world champion Cadel Evans, who finished 10th, played a key role in helping his Silence-Lotto colleague.
The Australian chased down a dangerous move on the final climb, allowing Gilbert to make his attack at exactly the right moment.
“Evans set a really high pace and that was perfect for me,” said the winner. “The whole team was strong and played a huge part.”
The 27-year-old Gilbert is the first Belgian to win the race since Fons de Wolf in 1980.
The Tour of Lombardy is the final race of the ProTour series and traditionally brings down the curtain on the European season.
The 2010 ProTour begins with the Tour Down Under in Australia on Jan. 19.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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Joachim-Vandenbourke's marketing machine (Nike & Michelob Ultra) continue to post on Yahoo! Cycling to perpetuate his legacy of stupidity.
Peter Joachim-Vandebourke's remains will be chopped up and mixed with asphalt to be used in pothole repair on Alp d'Huez. There is a planned ceremony at the 2010 TDF. The peleton will ride over the potholes containing Joachim-Vandebourkes remains and spit large gobs of snot on them. Lance Armstrong with lead the peleton in the procession.
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Coward!
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Mike marketing is NOT consiracy. It is Phil Knight's Stanford MBA thesis.
Lance Pharmstrong has BEEN a COnfirmed steroid and EPO addict since he failed seven drug tests in July 1999 TDF. The TDF and UCI cover up (illegal retro-dated TUE) was a fraud too.
Lance has a CONVICTED steroid dealer (Michele Ferrari) as his 10+ year dealer.
Lance has his DEADS teammates (Virmaut, Larsen, Zanoli)
Lance has his sick teammates (himself, Strock, Kaiter, Yates)
Lance has his EPO drug confessed alums (Frankie Andreu & Stephen Swartz)
Lance has his drug busted alums (Flandis, Hamilton, Heras, Jochim, Padrnos, Beltran, Basso, Contadoper)
You just keep smoking that high school Bong bikedaddy!
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It's nice to see the Belgian fans have something very exciting to be happy about after the passing of Vandenbroucke. RIP
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