“I picked the right moment to attack, and it paid off,” Piganzoli said afterward. “We had several cards to play. We handled this race perfectly as a team. It means a lot to me to add this great race to my palmares.” 

The block of Italian fall classics got underway with the 109th edition of the Giro dell’Emilia. The riders started in Ferrara and covered just under 200 kilometers. In the finale, they tackled local circuits in Bologna, featuring the steep climb to San Luca each time. During the flat opening phase, a group of eight early breakaway riders was allowed to build a gap over the peloton. 

As the race entered the local laps in Bologna, the breakaway was reeled in by the peloton thanks to the work of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The rapid succession of climbs up San Luca gradually reduced the size of the peloton. After the third of five total ascents, Jorgenson was part of an elite group. The 27-year-old American was joined by, among others, Pidcock, Ben Healy and world champion Brandon McNulty. Piganzoli and Tulett managed to bridge across on the descent. 

On the penultimate climb of San Luca, Jorgenson attacked again. Only Healy and Oscar Onley were able to follow his pace. Thanks to Pidcock’s effort, the chasing group caught back on. Piganzoli then launched an attack on the descent. No one responded to the Italian, who secured the overall victory at the Tour de Luxembourg two weeks ago. Despite the demanding finale, Piganzoli held on brilliantly. He soloed to his fifth victory of the season. Ben Tulett finished fourth, with Jorgenson fifth. 

“I felt good in the closing kilometers, so I decided to go all in,” Piganzoli said. “I also wanted to put my teammates in a good position that way. We still had Ben behind us, who has a strong sprint. In the end, I was able to finish it off myself, but this was a victory for the entire team. I’m happy that I was able to show my good form from Luxembourg and the World Championships here again.”