RAPOLANO TERME – A dusty bullfight and in the end, from the Sienese dirt roads, a Spaniard emerged victorious, Pelayo Sanchez. Much ado about nothing among the ranking men, from which however Damiano Caruso leaves definitively, who fell on the approach to the last white sector and arrived with several abrasions more than 15 minutes behind the leaders. Lots of control between the bigs and at the end Pogacar he preferred to keep his energy for the time trial in Perugia on Friday. UAE sporting director Matxin: “We didn’t want to get into the fight for the stage, we had to defend Tadej and that’s it. Now let’s think about the time trial. Everything under control? Never”.
Giro, Pogacar and the extra tooth: the Italian secret about his bike
by our correspondent Cosimo Cito
The pink jersey did not tremble: “For us it was perfect that the breakaway arrived, because I didn’t want to spend too much energy on the dirt road. Even if Luke Plapp had won the pink jersey it would have been fine. It was nice to run on the Strade Bianche routes again. The audience was large again. I had good legs and I hope they will be good again tomorrow for the time trial. It’s an interesting journey. I don’t think about winning. I just want to feel good on the bike.”
The news
It’s a three way escape to then determine the final result. Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar), the former two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick Step) e Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) escape well before Vidritta, the first dirt road of the day and they never catch them again. The Australian held the virtual pink jersey for long stretches, then the lead collapsed under the action of Ineos. However, the three retain about twenty seconds even beyond the last climb, that of Serre di Rapolano, and can play for the stage: Alaphilippe is the first to start but the very clever Sanchez, born in 2000, takes his wheel and passes him. Third career victory for the 23-year-old Galician, against his idol: “Julian has been a true legend for me since I was a boy, playing for success with him was an honor and a privilege. In the last kilometers I was excited to fight with him for the victory and in the end it came, it’s incredible.” Fists of anger on the handlebars for Ju-Ju, without any successes in 2024 and constantly in controversy with his team manager Patrick Lefevere, however seen on the course in the unprecedented role of supplier of water bottles for him.
Great show in the dust
A great day of cycling, however, with lots of dust, very hot. There tactic of Pogacar compared to the first days it now seems more conservative: not even an attack, not even a risk taken. In the Foligno-Perugia time trial, 40 km with an uphill finish (bike changes are also possible at the foot of the last climb that leads to the city centre) but the Slovenian will be able to let loose again. He will have to watch out above all, however, against Geraint Thomas, a time trial specialist, the closest in the standings (47″ difference). Antonio Tiberi will also try: “I like the time trial, I prepared it well, I hope to recover a bit in the standings.” The Lazio player from Bahrain, penalized by a puncture during the climb to Oropa, is 2 minutes and 50 seconds away from the pink jersey. The last 6.6 km of the Foligno-Perugia are uphill, with the Casaglia climb (1.3 km at 11.8%, max 16%) 5 km from the finish, and then the arrival in the historic center of Perugia (last 3 km at 3.2% and peaks of 11% at the final 2000 metres). It is the first of the two time trials of this edition of the Giro: the next will be Castiglione delle Stiviere-Desenzano del Garda, Saturday 18th, 31.2 kilometres.
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– 2024-05-10 13:37:34
