Elia Viviani (Cannondale) resumed his winning August, after a quiet Eneco Tour, with victory in the 2013 edition of the Dutch Food Valley Classic, in Veenendaal, Netherlands. The Italian sprinter was the fastest of the peloton at the end of the 192km semi-classic after the last of a 14-man breakaway had been neutralised with three kilometres to go.
Viviani’s compatriot Danilo Napolitano (Accent.jobs-Wanty) was second, with Dutchman Kenny van Hummel (Vacansoleil-DCM) third.
“This victory it’s like a confirmation for me” said Viviani. “After Elk Grove [where he won two of the three stages and teh overall - ed] I raced at the Eneco Tour but I wasn’t able to perform as I wanted. Only in the final stage I felt really good. Today I wanted and expected a bolt performance to release myself.
"The win is a prize for me and for the great job of Cannondale Pro Cycling," he continued. "My teammates controlled the race and breakaway without risks and, at the right moment, they closed the gap and set up the sprint. Now I want to think great for Hamburg Vattenfall Cyclassics. It’s an important race with strong competitors at the start. Today’s race was a good test: I hope to do the same performance on Sunday.”
The race, which was known as Veenendaal-Veenendaal until 2006, saw several attacks inside the opening 40km, but it was only when Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) managed to escape, and was joined by Rens te Stroet (Jo Piels), Marc Goos (Belgium) and Mark McNally (An Post-Chainreaction), that the break of the day was formed.
The four-man group was quickly joined by Willem Wauters (Vacansoleil-DCM), Bram Nolten (Doltcini-Flanders), Bart van Haaren (Koga), Michael Vingerling (Team 3M), and Twan van den Brand and Lars van der Haar (Netherlands) to make the group up to ten.
As Cannondale and Accent.jobs-Wanty controlled the peloton behind the break, its lead gradually rose to two minutes, while the counterattack of William Clarke (Argos-Shimano), Dries Hollanders (Metec-TKH), Tim Declercq (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Ronan van Zandbeek (De Rijke-Shanks) swelled the group’s number to 14.
At the halfway point the break led the peloton by 2’40”, but this was to be its maximum advantage and, as the leaders passed through Arnhem with 75km to go, it was down to 1’55”.
As the break crossed the finish line for the first time, to start the three 10km finishing circuits, the gap was just 55 seconds, but it was still 45 seconds at the end of lap one. With the peloton beginning to close, however, the attacks began in the leading group, with Hollanders the first to try to escape.
The Belgian was not able to get away from the others but, shortly afterwards, Wallays and McNally managed to get away.
At the bell the two riders were just 50 metres clear of the peloton, as it snapped up the other 12 riders. Wallays then went alone, and was allowed to stew at the head of the race before finally being pulled back by Cannondale in the final three kilometres.
Result
1. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
2. Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Accent.jobs-Wanty
3. Kenny van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
4. Wouter Wippert (Ned) Team 3M
5. Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Crelan-Euphony
6. Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos-Shimano
7. Sam Bennett (Irl) An Post-Chainreaction
8. Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
9. Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
10. Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Crelan-Euphony