| BELLONI Wins Another Lombardia
The 14th edition of the Giro di Lombardia was held on November 10, 1918.
SPECIAL NOTE: Lombardia’s success in 1917 reinforced the importance of the cycling-classics for public spirit. It also influenced the 1918 edition which happened one day before the WW1 Armistice in Compiegne, France. Route changes in 1917 and 1918 were necessary because of the damage to the roads caused by WW1. The race went a long way to benefiting the healing process of the battered Italy's psyche.
The early kilometers of the race were passive. Nothing important happened until the Brinzio climb. The peloton remained complete as the climb started.
Race Status:
On the Brinzio climb (81 Km into the race / 190 km), Gaetano Belloni took the lead by setting a fast-climbing pace. The peloton immediately split into small chasing groups. The breakaway remained with seven riders.
On the second passage from Varese (94 km / 190 km), the group expanded to fifteen in the lead of the race.
Binago climb (107 Km / 190 km), attacks and counterattacks did not change the situation over the summit.
On the Cappelletta climb, Belloni set the pace at the summit, but the group stayed together.
The Cicognola climb (123 km / 190 km), the last serious hill in the race, Belloni was highly active, Galetti matched his effort, and Azzini tried but unsuccessfully lost contact.
Just before passing through Monza (170 km / 190 km), twelve riders regrouped in the lead. There were 20 km to go, and their advantage remained at 4’00”.
Flying into Milan, Gaetano Belloni (Bianchi), Lauro Bordin (Bianchi), Luigi Lucotti (Bianchi), Clemente Canepari (Stucchi), Carlo Galetti (Legnano), Alfredo Sivocci (Dei), Leopoldo Torricelli (Dei), Romeo Poid (Isolati), Giuseppe Azzini (Isolati), Alexis Michiels (Isolati), Arturo Ferrario (Isolati), and Ruggero Ferrario (Isolati) battled for position to contest the final sprint.
Inside the last km Belloni launched the sprint with the group spread across the road. Sivocci tried to reply to Belloni's move, when a loose dog slipped into the middle of the sprinting pack. The dog caused Sivocci and several other riders to skid. Luigi Lucotti hit the pavement heavily. He could not finish the race.
Twenty meters from the finish, Belloni jumped past his teammate Lauro Bordin and crossed the finish line first.
Gaetano Belloni (winner in 1915) gained his second Lombardia victory.
GdL November 11, 1918 |
190 Km, Milan-Milan (Sesto San Giovanni) |
1.
Gaetano BELLONI (Ita) 7h08'00" |
2.
Alfredo Sivocci (Ita) |
3.
Carlo Galetti (Ita) |
Starters: 36 / Finishers: 22 Average Speed: 26.635 km/h |
|
Lomb 1917
Lomb 1919
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