Before Saturday’s Tour of Lombardy, which was celebrating its centennial, Olympic champion Paolo Bettini was totally relaxed, chatting with friends and signing autographs for the fans who gathered at the start in Mendrisio, Switzerland. Asked by RAI television how he saw the day going, the 31-year-old Quick Step-Innergetic team leader said he would see how things went, follow the wheels, and maybe go for the final sprint.

More than six hours later, on the misty lakeside in Como, Italy, he was there for the final sprint, but he didn’t just "follow the wheels." Bettini exploded the race on the 14-percent, switchback grades of the Madonna del Ghisallo, 55km from the finish, and only four others could get back to him: Gilbert Simoni and Gianluca Caruso of Italy, Frank Schleck of Luxembourg and Carlos Sastre of Spain.

The Bettini group

Photo: Graham Watson

Bettini and Lampre-Caffita’s Simoni went on to swap attacks on the last two climbs, the Civiglio with 16km to go and the San Fermo della Battaglia, 5km from the line. Thos attacks caused CSC’s Sastre to be dropped on the 3km, 7-percent Civiglio, which prevented him from helping his teammate Schleck in the finale, while Caruso of Liberty Seguros, who was having his best race ever, lost contact on the final climb.

"I tried to finish on my own," said Bettini, who did just that in the Championship of Zürich two weeks ago, "but Simoni and Schleck had a lot of courage. I knew I had great condition, and so I took a lot of risks to win and it paid off."

Indeed, even though Caruso, 24, chased back to the other three on the last descent into Como, Bettini was never worried. "I was looking at the signs — 400 meters, 300, 200 to go — waiting for someone to make a move. And when I jumped I knew I had the win. This is a beautiful classic, and winning it on its 100th anniversary is really special."

In second place was Simoni, who has enjoyed a great season at age 34, having won three times and finished second at the Giro. But he too was hoping to close it with a victory. "Bettini is the only one capable of going as fast as that in such a tough race. My plan was to stick with him and try to beat him in the sprint. But that was too much to ask…."

Besides weakening Simoni, Schleck and Caruso with his repeated accelerations, Bettini also knew that this was the best way "to stop the race coming down to a 40-man sprint." Indeed, only 54 seconds behind the four leaders, a pack of 30 riders sprinted it out for fifth place.

That sprint was taken by Gerolsteiner’s Davide Rebellin, who was sorry to miss the break on the Ghisallo but knew that the 25 points he scored for fifth place would move him up from 10th to third in the final standings of the inaugural ProTour.

Just two Americans finished the Tour of Lombardy. Saul Raisin of Crédit Agricole came in 52nd, at 8:00, after breaking away in the finale from the 40-strong main pack with Koos Moerenhout of Davitamon-Lotto, while Saunier Duval’s Chris Horner finished in that pack, at 8:53, in 60th place.

Bettini launches

Photo: Graham Watson

The overall ProTour winner, Danilo Di Luca of Liquigas-Bianchi, tested his strained left knee with a solo move behind the day’s early 12-man break, but the tendinitis had not improved and he pulled out of the race at the day’s second feed zone, 60km from the finish.

"For me, it’s been an extraordinary season," Di Luca said. "I won some great races and I have also won the first ProTour. Now I’ve won it, I can focus on some other things next year — starting with the Giro, which I will try to win after coming in fourth this year."

And now that Bettini has shown his true climbing strength, perhaps the Cricket will also make a jump toward the pink jersey in 2006. But, for now, he can enjoy the off-season with another monumental classic in his palmarès. No wonder he looked so happy at the post-race press conference!

DiLuca atop his final ProTour podium of 2005

Photo: Graham Watson

Tour of Lombardy results

1. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step, 246km in 5:56:22
2. Gilberto Simoni (I), Lampre-Caffita, same time
3. Frank Schleck (Lux), CSC, s.t.
4. Giampaolo Caruso (I), Liberty Seguros, at 0:04
5. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, at 0:54
6. Fabian Wegmann (G), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
7. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo), Lampre-Caffita, s.t.
8. Martin Elmiger (Swi), Phonak, s.t.
9. Massimiliano Gentili (I), Naturino-Sapore di Mare, s.t.
10. Santo Anza (ITA), Acqua & Sapone, s.t.

Final ProTour overall

Individual
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 229pts
2. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step, 171
3. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, 151
4. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 140
5. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 139
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 136
7. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 131
8. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step, 130
9. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 130
10. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 129


Teams
1. CSC, 390pts
2. Phonak, 353
3. Rabobank, 349
4. Davitamon, 322
5. Liberty, 320
6. Gerolsteiner, 303
7. Saunier Duval, 293
8. Discovery Channel, 274
9. Credit Agricole, 264
10. Illes Baleares, 262


2005 ProTour winners

Paris-Nice: Bobby Julich (USA), CSC
Tirreno-Adriatico: Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
Milan-San Remo: Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo
Tour of Flanders: Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step
Ghent-Wevelgem: Nico Mattan (B), Davitamon
Tour of the Netherlands: Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas
Paris-Roubaix: Tom Boonen
Amstel Gold Race: Danilo Di Luca
Fleche Wallonne: Danilo Di Luca
Liege-Bastogne-Liege: Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile
Tour of Romandy: Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak
Tour of Catalonia: Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Discovery Channel
Giro d’Italia: Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel
Dauphine Libere: Inigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel
Tour of Switzerland: Aitor Gonzalez (Sp), Euskaltel
Eindhoven Time Trial: Gerolsteiner
Tour de France: Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel
HEW-Cyclassics: Filippo Pozzato (I), Quick Step
Tour of Benelux: Bobby Julich
San Sebastian Classic: Constantino Zaballa (Sp), Saunier Duval
Tour of Germany: Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner
Grand Prix of West France: George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel
Vuelta a España: Roberto Heras (Sp), Liberty
Tour of Poland: Kim Kirchen (Lux), Fassa Bortolo
World championship: Tom Boonen
Zurich championship: Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step
Paris-Tours: Erik Zabel (G), T-Mobile
Tour of Lombardy: Paolo Bettini