Italy gain another dangerous Worlds option as Davide Piganzoli lights up Luxembourg

Piganzoli started the Tour de Luxembourg as one of several riders using the race to sharpen up ahead of Montreal. After Friday’s queen stage, however, the 24-year-old suddenly looks like a much more intriguing piece in Italy’s World Championship puzzle.

The Visma | Lease a Bike rider finished just one second behind stage winner Pepijn Reinderink after an aggressive 179.6 kilometre stage from Wiltz to Diekirch containing 3,171 metres of climbing.

More significant than the result was the way Piganzoli achieved it.

More significant than the result was the way Piganzoli achieved it.

Visma had placed riders up the road throughout the stage, giving Piganzoli teammates to work with when he eventually attacked from the peloton. He moved through several groups in the final part of the race, collecting assistance from Pietro Mattio, Timo Kielich and Tijmen Graat as he worked his way towards the front.

By the finish, only Reinderink remained ahead of him. Piganzoli took second and moved into the race lead, six seconds ahead of Thomas Gachignard.

“The victory was within reach, so it’s a little disappointing that I just missed out,” Piganzoli said afterwards in a Visma press release. “At the same time, I’m very happy with the leader’s jersey.”

For Visma sports director Gaëtan Pons, the performance was notable for another reason. Piganzoli has already completed both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this season, yet appears to have found another peak for the final weeks of the year.

“We know Davide can perform at this level,” Pons said. “What is perhaps even more impressive is that after riding those two Grand Tours, he has been able to recover and perform at this level again.”

That durability could become particularly valuable in Montreal.

Piganzoli’s form comes at a useful time for Italy, with the World Championships in Montreal now just over a week away.

The elite men’s road race on September 27 covers 273.7 kilometres and almost 3,800 metres of climbing. After the run into Montreal, the riders face twelve laps of the finishing circuit, where the repeated climbs are expected to make the race increasingly selective.

Italy will start with several options alongside Piganzoli. Roberto Amadio has also selected Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Mattia Cattaneo (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull Rookies), Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) and Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) for the elite road race.

Ciccone and Pellizzari are among the obvious names for the harder part of the race, while Piganzoli’s latest performance gives Italy another option. Speaking to Bici.pro earlier this week, Pellizzari stressed that the team is not planning around a single leader.

“We have a strong team and a lot of options,” he said. “We’ll have to use them well.”

Pellizzari also said he expects the racing in Montreal to open up early. He watched the recent Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal together with Piganzoli and believes the extra distance at the Worlds could change the character of the race significantly.

“Everyone thinks they are Pogačar,” Pellizzari joked. “But there is only one Pogačar.”

With Pogačar absent from Montreal, Italy may have more room to make use of its strength in depth.

Piganzoli still has the Tour de Luxembourg to complete, but his performance there has added another name to Italy’s list of options for Montreal.