After more than 60 kilometers of racing, the runners decided on their own initiative to stop the Italian classic of the Three Varesian Valleys.
The 103rd edition of the Trois Vallées Varésines was canceled on Tuesday after the runners, including superstar Tadej Pogacar, dismounted after more than an hour of racing in the cold and in the rain. The runners, with Pogacar in the front row, stopped after an hour and fifteen minutes of racing at the first crossing of the finish line of an event held on a circuit, according to images broadcast by the public television channel Rai Sport.
“It saddens us immensely that this edition could not take place as we hoped, but we accept the runners’ decision, because we put their safety at the top of our priorities”declared the head of the organizing committee Renzo Oldani in a press release.
“We knew it was going to be difficult, we have no problem racing in the rain, but if someone had fallen on the descent, I don’t want to imagine what could have happened (…) running was not possible”assured Ben Swift on the X account of his Ineos team.
Bardet’s escape nipped in the bud
“In certain portions of the descent, the road was completely covered with water and this must have made it difficult to maneuver our bikes”explained Pogacar. “There were quickly a lot of punctures and broken wheels as we couldn’t see much”continued the winner of the 2024 Tour de France and Italy.
Due to the terrible weather conditions prevailing in Lombardy, the organizers had previously postponed the start of the event by twenty minutes, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the Tour of Lombardy. They had also cut the course by 32 km.
At the time of the interruption, six riders, including Frenchman Romain Bardet who will retire in June 2025, had escaped and had a two-minute lead over the peloton of favorites. Heavy rainfall fell on Lombardy on Tuesday morning, which had an impact on the women’s version of the Three Varesian Valleys, which was also shortened.
But the women’s event, contested in pouring rain, came to an end and was won by the Frenchwoman Cédrine Kerbaol. Winner of the Tour of Emilia last weekend and crowned world champion ten days ago, Pogacar hoped to refine his form for the Tour of Lombardy, the last Monument of the season of which he will be the big favorite on Saturday.
