Tour of Lombardy 2014: Sweet revenge Daniel Martin

With crashes in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro d'Italia, Daniel Martin's 2014 season was marked by disaster, but all is forgotten after a brilliant attack in the final kilometre of Il Lombardia. Unseen by his fellow attackers he escapes and powers to victory. Alejandro Valverde comes in second and Rui Costa third after a race of 254 kilometres. (Slideshow route/profile)

Tour of Lombardy 2014: Results

1. Daniel Martin (Irl)
2. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
3. Rui Costa (por)
4. Tim Wellens (bel)
5. Samuel Sánchez (spa)
6. Michael Albasini (Swi)
7. Philippe Gilbert (bel)
8. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa)
9. Fabio Aru (ita)
10. Rinaldo Nocentini (ita)

Race report
Juan Valencia, Francesco Gavazzi, Mathias Brandle and Paul Voss are the first riders to attack. They do not manage to break clear, but after half an hour of racing Gavazzi and Voss try again – this time in the company of Tiziano Dall’Antonia, Jeremy Roy, Jan Polanc, Andrea Fedi, Romain Guillemois and Sergio Paulinho. Brandle, Angelo Pagani and Miguel Angel Rubiano try to bridge and after a long chase the join the front group at Madonna del Ghisallo. Their gain is over 10 minutes at that time.

Climbing the Passo di Ganda only Rubiano, Polanc, Roy, Fedi and Paulinho are strong enough to stay upfront and Txurruka tries to bridge the gap. Whilst Paulinho is off for a solo in a short climb in the descent, a group with Weening, Mollema, Cherel and Hermans if off the front of the peloton. They join Txurruka.

In the valley Fedi joins Paulinho, and Polanc is back upfront at 30 kilometres.

At the Berbenno-climb Weening and Hermans are in the lead, but what’s left of the pack is close. Leopold Konig bridges the gap in the descent, but with 10 kilometres left the Czech is dropped.

At the bottom of the closing climb to Alta Bergamo the two escapees are caught and young Tim Wellens is the first to attack. Philippe Gilbert brings back his countryman and with amongst others Valverde, Costa and Aru a group of ten riders drop to the finish line.

Unseen by his rivals Daniel Martin attacks in the closing kilometre. No reaction means the Irishman is off for glory and giving everyting he’s got he pushes hard to the finish line, taking his first victory in 2015.