After 241 kilometres and 4400 metres of climbing, the 26-year-old professional was the fastest of a four-man breakaway group, ahead of the Italian Diego Rosa. German professionals played no part in the penultimate autumn classic.
Local knowledge helped Chaves on the decisive last three kilometres into Bergamo's higher old town. "When I turned pro, I lived in Bergamo for a while," said the rider from the Australian team Orica GreenEdge.
Although the climbing specialist is not one of the fastest in the final sprint, he beat Rosa and his experienced compatriot Umberto Uran in a man-to-man battle. "I told myself right to the end: stay calm, stay calm. 200 metres before the finish, I started and it was just right."
The classics season ends with Paris-Tours. After that, the Road World Championships start on the flat desert course in Qatar. No chance there: Esteban Chaves.
