Glory for Malori

Some victories resonate more than others. The quality of the field will say much about the quality of the performance. By defeating four-time world time trial champion, Fabian Cancellara (Trek), Olympic time trial champion, Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and three-time and reigning world time trial champion, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Movistar’s Adriano Malori can count victory on the final stage of the 2014 Tirreno-Adriatico among his finest.

The 26-year-old began the season in fine form by wining – you guessed it – the individual time trial at the Tour de San Luis, and proved similarly rapid on a flat course in  San Benedetto del Tronto, putting six seconds in to Cancellara over a 9.1km course. The Swiss, lest we forget, is no slouch over short courses, with five Tour de France prologue victories to his name.

After four season with Lampre, Malori has begun his career with world number one-ranked Movistar in fine style. The Spanish squad is laden with talent, from Grand Tour winners (Alejandro Valverde) to puncheurs (Giovanni Visconti). In Jonathan Castroviejo and Alex Dowsett, Eusebio Unzué already had two time trial specialists on the books. Malori has given every indication that he intends to be the best of the three.