Nat Bromhead
In a stunning victory Orica-Bike Exhange’s Esteban Chaves has won the final monument of the year – II Lombardia in Italy.
The win caps off an stellar season for the honorary Aussie – having made the podium at the Giro d’ Italia and more recently the Vuelta a Espana. He’s now the first Colombian to win a monument and indeed first non-European to win il Lombardia – an iconic race now in its 110th year.
A natural and gifted climber, Chaves devoured the 241kilometre race excelling on the many ascents. He attacked early into the final climb, held his nerve, and won a sprint finish to the line.
“It was a dream for me to win Il Lombardia,” said Chaves.
“I can’t believe I’ve won this race. This is a monument. In the final, I tried to make a difference on the cobbles but Rigoberto (Uran) followed so I had to stay calm and go for the sprint, which is not my forte but I gave everything and I’m so happy that I made it.
“Today was a really amazing result for me and I can say that dreams come true, but this is not accidental this is because all of the team worked for this result.
Chaves said his Orica-Bike Exchange team was truly special.
“They work with the heart and when you work with the heart you can achieve these results,” he said.
“Thanks to ORICA-BikeExchange for believing in me.”
