Fisher-Black can tell us exactly how well Del Toro performed on 'sore' legs leading into Lombardy

The 24-year-old Fisher-Black has clearly regained his form after finishing the Vuelta a España in support of Primož Roglič and then skipping the World Championships. The puncher opted for a period of recovery and returned to competition last Monday at Tre Valli Varesine. However, he did not finish that race.

In Gran Piemonte, he did make it to the finish, and was even right in the mix for the win. When Del Toro attacked on La Morra (just over 7 kilometres at an average gradient of 3.6 percent), the Red Bull rider was able to stay in his slipstream.

“It made sense to get on Isaac’s wheel, because I had a feeling he was going to try something. It turned out to be the right choice, because when he went, I was able to jump on his wheel,” he said afterwards.

Del Toro pushed Fisher-Black past his limit, he admitted.

“When he attacked, I was already at my limit. I really had to give it my all to stay on his wheel,” said the Kiwi, responding to a question about how strong Del Toro was upon his return to competition. Prior to Gran Piemonte, the Mexican had been complaining of knee problems.

Fisher-Black didn't notice any of that on Thursday. “I finally caught up, and then Isaac kept pushing hard all the way to the top. We had a nice lead at the top, but we knew it would be tough if the group behind us organized itself well. In the end, they closed the gap pretty quickly.”

Still, Del Toro and Fisher-Black weren’t caught until the final kilometre. “I was definitely willing to cooperate, but once we reached the top, Isaac attacked again. From that point on, I had to race smart to fend off another attack. I stayed on his wheel for a while, and by the time I started to respond, I think it was already too late.”