First year professional Moreno Moser showed the genetic class which runs in his family when he soloed to victory in today’s Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy. The 21 year old Liquigas-Cannondale rider, who is the nephew of the famous Francesco Moser, was part of a group of twenty riders who was clear towards the end of the 196 kilometre race.
Moser seized his chance with approximately three kilometres to go, surging ahead and holding on until the finish. He reached the line just ahead of 25 others, with Rubiano Chavez Miguel Angel (Androni Giocattoli) and Montaguti Matteo (AG2R - La Mondiale) netting second and third.
“If you’d asked me to bet on myself to win at the start, I wouldn’t have done it,” the smiling rider admitted afterwards. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have even done it two meters from the finish line: it was only when I raised my arms in the air that I realised I’d won.
“This is a dream come true: my first win, in Italy, and just how I wanted it to be. Racing as a finisseur is what I did best in the junior categories. I tried twice today: I went too early the first time, but the second was a winner, particular for the timing. The lead group was restless and I think lots of them were considering attacking. I didn’t calculate anything, I just went.”
One of those in the break was last year’s race winner, Lampre-ISD’s Daniele Pietropolli. He was hoping to defend his title but ultimately had to be satisfied with tenth.
“The race was not as tough as we thought and this fact allowed some attacks in the final kilometres,” he said. “Moser was skilful in attacking in the proper moment and he deserved the victory.”
Once clear, the young rider put his head down and gave it absolutely to stay clear. “I pushed as hard as I could and never looked back: it was right to have a go, either it would work or it wouldn’t,” he said. “Which helped the most, legs or courage? I’d say legs, you never win without those. I’d add team-mates to that as well: I couldn’t have done it without their work and support. “
He revealed that a comment by the team’s trainer gave him an idea that he could do something big today. “Last week in Calabria, our coach Slongo told me that my fitness tests were good and I would have my chances. So I started to imagine how the Laigueglia would play out, and studied the route,” he said. “In my mind I worked out the idea of an attack like the one I did today: it was just a dream though, I never imagined that I could do it …”
He did just that, though, and has now opened his account at an early age. Time will tell if he will have a career anything like that of his uncle but, whatever the future brings, he did the Moser name proud today.