In the age of dominant solo victories from the favourite and a more eager-than-ever peloton hunting down every opportunity for stage win glory, breakaway wins are becoming somewhat of a lost art in cycling. One man still flying the flag for the baroudeurs at 37 years old is Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco AlUla).
The Italian veteran has made a name for himself leaving everything out on the road as he tries to outfox the peloton and pick the right move to take victory. He's only been successful seven times since turning pro some 13 years ago with Androni in 2011, but each is memorable and serves as a reminder that the opportunistic moves of old are still possible.
"Riders like me are rare and we do love to take risks," De Marchi said. "If you want to achieve, you must be willing to take some risks."
Today saw De Marchi take victory number seven on stage 2 of the Tour of the Alps, three years and 160 race days after his last at Tre Valli Varesine in 2021 - the only one of victories that didn't come solo after he beat Davide Formolo in the two-up sprint.
"We cannot compare ourselves to the cycling of the past, because today the context is completely different," said De Marchi in his post-race press conference.
"Things aren't necessarily more difficult than in last years. I am here, I'm doing what I've always done throughout my career and I'm still succeeding so perhaps this is a sign that what we had before is still the key."
De Marchi made up part of a six-man group that went up the road on route from Salorno to Stans, but he proved the strongest on the final climb up Gnadenwald (4.5 km à 7.3%) after catching Patrick Gamper (Bora-Hansgrohe), who had gone up the road from the break, and dropping Simon Pellaud (Tudor) to go solo inside the final 20km.
The long wait for a win comes after De Marchi twice narrowly missed out on a maiden Giro d'Italia stage win in 2023 where he was, of course, in the breakaway and fighting to get the move just right.
He was third into Viareggio on stage 10, bested by Magnus Cort (EF) and alongside Simon Clark (Israel-Premier Tech) he was swept up within sight of the peloton on the run into Napoli just four stages prior. It's been a long career of trying but De Marchi refuses to give up the ghost, and today showed just why.
"All in all, it was an attempt that went well. Of course, this success is not fully repaying me for all the attempts that I've done, but wow what a result," he said.
De Marchi even had a feeling that today could be his day, letting teammate and roommate Filippo Zana know that it was going to be a day where he went for it because he "needed to make the effort".
"If this was to be my last victory, it would be just fine, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying for it," De Marchi said. "I race to thrill: that's why, even if I was eventually caught today, I still would have gone to sleep proud and happy."
The Italian even offered some advice for the younger generation as his style of racing continues to dry out with those breaking through less willing to dare and more accustomed to the rigid planning and strategy that comes with racing for a WorldTour team.
"OK, today youngsters are trained, they're followed by nutrition specialists and so on but this can only get you so far," said the Italian.
"What takes you to the next level is stamina, your heart and the ability to dare. And perhaps it's what the youngsters nowadays are missing. I'm not talking about the Italian riders but every young rider is missing and is not hungry enough.
"They are not willing to dare, to take risks."
He'll be heading to the Giro d'Italia for the fifth time next month and perhaps his maiden win at his home Grand Tour will arrive in time for his 38th birthday on May 19.
