Marked as a pre-race favourite thanks to his stunning victory in the same race in 2012, Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez knew victory at Il Lombardia would likely propel him to world number one for the second consecutive year.
And up against a fiercely-strong field of riders looking to close the one-day season on a high, to pull it off was going to take something special.
But in the pouring rain, Rodriguez produced exactly that – a stunning attack on the final climb after his team-mates worked tirelessly to reel in lone escapee Thomas Voeckler (Europcar).
No sooner had the race come back together then Rodriguez climbed out of the saddle and dropped the hammer.
Purito highlighted just how he has built a reputation as such a ferocious climber by quickly putting distance between himself and his rivals, and a sense of deja vu fell over the finish as he soloed into Lecco alone to take victory.
