Italian Elia Viviani denies Aussie Caleb Ewan to claim Cadel Evans Road Race
Italian Elia Viviani scratched a 12-month itch, going one better to claim the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race after holding off fast-finishing Australian Caleb Ewan.
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Italian Elia Viviani has won two watches in four days, but admits he might have to buy another five for his teammates after they catapulted him to Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race glory.
Viviani scratched a 12-month itch, claiming Australia’s 163.4km World Tour one-day classic after a frustrating second to Jay McCarthy last year.
He did it by holding off a fast-finishing Caleb Ewan - the Australian pocket rocket battling wisdom tooth pain in recent days to fall short by a wheel length on the Geelong waterfront.
History repeated for South African Daryl Impey, with the Mitchelton-Scott all-rounder again finishing third after winning Tour Down Under.
After teammates Dries Devenyns controlled the final kilometres and Michael Morkov delivered a 600m leadout, Viviani launched late to do what he did 18 times last year - prove too fast at the finish.
“Whenever they asked me about my amazing 2018 I said: ‘There’s two second places I didn’t like, this race and Gent-Wevelgem’,” said Viviani, who also won the sprint classification at Thursday’s Race Melbourne.
“This race means a lot to me because it’s one of four or five one-day classics I can win.
“My guys did amazing job. I was scared to have Caleb on my wheel, but 150m, I can manage that.
“Today we were really committed, a race is a race and that’s our mentality and we always want to win.”
Viviani had expected fireworks on the four tough climbs up Challambra Crescent, but both he and Ewan were able to stay in touch on a hilly 16.8km circuit, with headwinds and the conservative nature of the race resulting in 33 riders contesting the final sprint for the line.
It was the biggest front group to hit the finish in five editions of the race.
Impey, who climbs faster than the sprinters and sprints faster than the climbers, knew things hadn’t gone to plan.
“We tried to make it as hard as we could (up Challambra Crescent). It looked like we were the only team really trying to make a select group there at the final,” Impey said.
“I think it was just the headwind there that nullified all the attacks and it was just easier to be on the wheel.”
It was Impey’s early surge to the line that inadvertently boxed-in Ewan.
“I couldn’t start the sprint when I wanted to,” Ewan said.
“Daryl started pretty early and then he couldn’t keep going. He was in my way when I tried to start. Elia left it really late and it was actually a perfectly times sprint and by the time there was room for me to come around we were too close to the finish to get past him.
“It was a bit frustrating, but it’s a long year. I know I’m going well.”
The Aussie will now fly back to Europe earlier than planned to have his wisdom teeth removed after they started causing him pain before Thursday’s Race Melbourne criterium.
“It’s not ideal, but I don’t think it affected my legs too much. It doesn’t help, but I can’t use that as an excuse,” he said.
The race was shaped by a three-man breakaway featuring Australia’s Melbourne to Warrnambool champion Nathan Elliott, his teammate Carter Turnbull and Belgian Laurens De Vreese.
De Vreese united with Astana teammate Davide Ballerini; the latter making a solo bid for glory before being hauled in with 9km to go.
A series of attacks and counter-attacks then ensued before Viviani saluted.
1 Elia VIVIANI (Deceuninck-Quick Step) 3h54:35
2 Caleb EWAN (Lotto Soudal)+0
3 Daryl IMPEY (Mitchelton-Scott)+0
4 Ryan GIBBONS (Team Dimension Data)+0
5 Jens DEBUSSCHERE (Team Katusha Alpecin) +0
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