Veneto Classic 2024

October 20, 2024 The Veneto Classic closes out the European Road calendar with a finish in stunning Bassano del Grappa. The poor weather broke and the sun came out at the start for a race that has it all. The route leaves Soave and enters the first circuit for two laps and the second circuit of La Tisa for four laps before going through the gravel roads of the Diesel Fashion Estate and arriving in Bassano del Grappa 192KM later. The flag dropped and six riders got up the road to make the break including Magnus Cort of Uno-X Mobility, Tobias Bayer of Alpecin-Deceuninck, Anders Foldager of Jayco AlUla, Alexis Gougeard of Cofidis, Kyrylo Tsarenko of Corratec-Vini Fantini, and Riccardo Biondani of General Store-Essegibi-F.Lli Curia. On the second lap of La Tisa with 52KM to go, only Bayer, Cort, and Foldager were left in the break. The peloton completely split on the cobbled Muro della Tisa and riders were spread everywhere but the main bunch was 3 minutes back. Groupama-FDJ and UAE were on the backfoot in the peloton and could not organize a coherent chase. On the circuit, before the Muro della Tisa was the more gradual climb of Colceresa. On the Colceresa with 33KM to go, Groupama-FDJ put in a concerted chase and had the gap down to 2 minutes. The three leaders stayed together over the Muro della Tisa for the penultimate time at 30KM to go and maintained a gap of 1 minute 40 seconds to a peloton reduced to around 20 riders. A group of five split from the bunch including Filippo Baroncini of UAE, Davide De Pretto of Jayco AlUla, Simone Gualdi and Lorenzo Rota of Intermarché-Wanty, and George Bennett of Israel-Premier Tech. Giulio Pellizzari of Bardiani CSF-Faizanè bridged at 20KM to go but the two groups re-formed before the final ascent of the Muro della Tisa. Back on the flat road after the descent with 16KM to go, the second group of 11 riders was 30 seconds behind the leading trio. The route diverted away from the Tisa circuit to head towards the Diesel Estate gravel climb and descent. Seven more riders joined the chase but the gap grew to 1 minute at the start of the climb. Cort pulled away from Foldager first then Bayer. He went over the top with around 30 seconds in front of new group consisting of Marc Hirschi of UAE, Filippo Zana of Jayco AlUla, Xandro Meurisse of Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bayer, and Pellizzari. Romain Grégoire of Groupama-FDJ joined the group with around 5KM to go and attacked them but it was too late to catch Cort who crossed the line first after a full day in the breakaway. Grégoire came in next with a small group led in by Meurisse just behind.