Italian success also in the Women’s Under 23 with Elisa Balsamo
One year after Elia Viviani’s victory, another Italian, Giacomo Nizzolo, has climbed on the highest step of the podium in the Road race at the European Championships taking place in Plouay (France).
The current Italian champion won in a very close sprint, after a hard fought race, narrowly beating the French rider Arnaud Demare and the German Pascal Ackermann, also third in 2019.
The national Italian team dominated the race and controlled the action by stopping all the attacks to give the best possible chance in the sprint to its sprinter.
For more than 100 kilometres, four men lead the race: Andreas Miltiadis (Cyprus), Dusan Rajovic (Serbia), Pawel Bernas (Poland) and Emil Dima (Romania).
After the peloton regrouped, several attacks were attempted, especially from the Dutch and Belgian riders, then two kilometres from the finish, Tom Pidcock and the Portuguese rider Ruben Guerreiro. Once they had caught up, the two attackers, the Italians, Ballerini and Cimolai perfectly paved the way for Nizzolo, who won in the photo-finish beating Demare.
The Women’s Under 23 race took place in the morning and was dominated by the Italian national team who had perfect control over the peloton throughout the entire race, without leaving any space for an attack.
A close sprint was therefore inevitable and Elisa Balsamo, twenty two years old, raised her arms in the air ahead of Lonneke Uneken (Netherlands) and Emma Jorgensen (Denmark).
The European Championships continue tomorrow, Thursday 27 August, with the Men’s Under 23 Road race (136.5 km, start at 9:00) and Women’s Elite (109.2 km, start at 13:00).
Information, TV schedule, registration lists and results – click here
