After yesterday’s prologue in Torino, we have moved just a few km south for a start near UNESCO World Heritage Sites castle, Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi from 1731. This is supposed to be a sprinter stage and this early in a grand tour, a breakaway victory would be very rare on a flat stage.
Astana’s Gleb Brussenskiy, UAE’s Yousef Mirza and Israel’s Guy Sagiv get some TV time. Yousef Mirza takes the only KoM sprint.
Pascal Ackermann wins the sprint in Novara, his 6th victory this season, the first on World Tour level. Cees Bol 2nd and Emils Liepinš 3rd. A very good result from our 28 years old Pole, reaching the front in perfect time. Charlie Quarterman still leads the GC.
From Novara the peloton has travelled some 50 km northwest for a start in Biella at the foothills of the Alps. The route is almost direct south and we will pass some hilly climbs on narrow roads at the edge of the northwestern Apennines, before the finish in Canale. On paper the stage should favour the punchers and rouleurs, the length of the stage requires some endurance. Charlie Quarterman will start another stage in the Maglia rosa.
It would take some time to establish the morning breakaway, as quite many riders would attempt to join, on a stage that could potentially end in a breakaway win. After more than 35 km, the peloton settled down with four riders out front. FDJ’s Fabian Lienhard, Cofidis’s Anthony Perez, Qhubeka’s Andreas Stokbro and Arkéa’s Markus Pajur. With 9 points Fabian Lienhard gained the KoM lead.
It ended in a reduced sprint, between 34 riders, on the slightly uphill finish in Canale. Sonny Colbrelli won the stage in front of Lorenzo Rota and Odd Christian Eiking. As 16th and 17th Vincenzo Nibali and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier the only riders from Trek – Segafredo not losing time. INEOS’ Rohan Dennis new rider in the Maglia rosa.
The stage start in Piacenza, some 150 km east of where we finished yesterday. Today we race southeast finishing in Sestola at the northern Apennines in the province of Modena. A semi mountain stage, where the 2nd half is quite tough. The morning breakaway was 8 riders, including KoM leader Fabian Lienhard from FDJ. They only made it past the first categorized climb. A second attack from Cofidis’s Anthony Perez lasted longer, he made it past the 2nd climb and took a total of 11 KoM points.
A last attack before the final climb, came from Nairo Quintana, on an uncategorized ascent with 18 km left, but he was also reeled in. At this point we still had Vincenzo Nibali and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier in the leading group of 20 riders. Despite the efforts of Anthony Perez, Aleksandr Vlasov was fastest on Colle Passerino and took the overall KoM lead.
Simon Yates won in Sestola. Aleksandr Vlasov 2nd in the same time and Richard Carapaz 3rd losing 25”. Simon Yates became new GC leader with 6” down to Vlasov. Our best on the stage was Vincenzo Nibali 8th losing 35”. Vincenzo Nibali now 9th in GC at 1'02”.
After yesterday’s finish in the northern Apennines, the tour caravan travelled north for todays start in Modena at the southern part of Po Valley. From here we got a pancake flat stage southeast towards Cattolica at the shore of the Adriatic Sea. As both of our fastest riders expressed that they were not quite at their best, others got the opportunity today. Ryan Mullen seized the moment and attacked, becoming part of the morning breakaway.
Mullen had great legs and worked hard, but sadly the breakaway was composed of relatively weaker riders, while the pack was united in their effort to create a mass sprint finish. Mullen was the last rider to get caught with 11 km left.
Pascal Ackermann won the stage in front of Mark Cavendish and Jakub Mareczko. This was the 2nd stage win of the tour from the 27 years old rider, born in Kandel in the southwestern part of Germany less than 15 km from the French border. Best from Trek – Segafredo was Emils Liepinš 13th.
After yesterday’s finish in Cattolica, the tour caravan travelled about 100 km south, for a start near the Frasassi karst caves in Genga. Form there we in for a hard mountain stage in the Apennines, with summit finish at Ascoli Piceno.
It would take a little more that 40 km to form the morning breakaway of 15 riders. On paper the strongest in this group would be Arkéa’s Miguel Eduardo Florez (15’36”) and Visma’s Antwan Tolhoek (16’13”), best in KoM was Movistar’s Davide Villella (13’18) with 7 points.
Over the first hard climb Forca di Gualdo (10.5 km 7.3%) the leading group was reduced to 10 riders with a gap of 4’00” to a peloton of 46 riders. The gap grew further over Forca di Presta (4.8 km 4.9%) and the long descent. With the favourite group at 6’36”, it was clear that the breakaway would take the stage win. Vincenzo Nibali still had Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Niklas Eg to help on the final climb. With about 1 km left Antwan Tolhoek made the decisive move. Tolhoek won the stage with 1'26 down to Vadim Pronskiy and Davide Villella.
Gaining 37 points today, Tolhoek also took the KoM lead. Best from the favourites was Simon Yates, 11th at 4'43, Emanuel Buchmann 12th at 4'59”. Vincenzo Nibali came in the next group with Richard Carapaz and Fabio Aru at 5'07, moving up to 5th in GC. Simon Yates leads the race with 1’04” to Richard Carapaz and 1’09” to Aleksandr Vlasov.
After yesterday’s finish at San Giacomo in Ascoli Piceno, the caravan has left the Apennines moving some 40 km southeast for a start in Notaresco, much closer to the Adriatic Sea. Today we will have a mostly flat sprinter friendly race south along the coast, heading for sea side resort town Termoli. 6 riders formed what was to become the break of the day, James Whelan from EF Education took the only KoM sprint.
The breakaway did not last and it came to the expected mass sprint in Termoli, won by Fernando Gaviria. His first victory of the season. Ethan Hayter 2nd and Mark Cavendish took the last podium. Best from Trek - Segafredo was Matteo Moschetti 10th. There was on change in top 20 of the GC.
From Termoli the tour caravan drove some 90 km southeast for a start in Foggia, located in the center of Tavoliere delle Puglie plain. From Foggia the stage will head directly west, back to the Apennines, on an undulated route passing the 19 km climb to Bocca della Selva, before we reach the 3.1 km final ramp to Guardia Sanframondi.
The morning breakaway of 9 riders, included 2nd in KoM Davide Villella from Movistar and Jumbo-Visma’s Koen Bouwman, otherwise a rather weak group.
The pack was fast on the climb to Bocca della Selva and the morning breakaway was reeled in before they reached the top. Instead, we got an attack from KoM leader Antwan Tolhoek, Astana’s Vadim Pronskiy and later also Cofidis’s Anthony Perez. Vadim Pronskiy took the KoM in front of Antwan Tolhoek. Tolhoek will still lead the KoM, but Pronskiy passed Villella as new 2nd.
A relatively large group of about 90 riders reached the final 3,1 km ramp to the finish line. Richard Carapaz won the stage in front of Simon Yates and Aleksandr Vlasov. Best from Trek – Segafredo Vincenzo Nibali 13th at 10”. There were no changes in GC top 10.
The tour caravan travelled 100 km north of where we finished yesterday. For a start in Castel di Sangro or just Caštiéllë. A small town in the mountainous province of L'Aquila. From Castel di Sangro we are in for another undulated and quite hard stage in the Apennines, with very few flat roads. Ending with a 5.9 km climb at 5.7% up to Campo Felice ski resort in Rocca di Cambio.
A lot of riders attempted to attack the peloton, after about 40 km the first group reached the summit of Passo Godi, 8 riders with a gap of 7’31 to the peloton. The group included Gorka Izagirre, Lorenzo Rota, Tim Wellens, Odd Christian Eiking as well as 3rd and 4th in KoM, Davide Villella and Anthony Perez. Eiking took the KoM in front of Rota and Izagirre. In a group 1’42 behind the leaders we got 11 riders including EF Education’s strong climber Hugh Carthy.
On the descent from Passo Godi both Jai Hindley and Emanuel Buchmann had solo crashes. Over the 65 km between the two first categorized climbs, the leading group was reduced to Izagirre, Rota, Eiking and Perez. Group Carthy was now at 2’12, the peloton at 5’24. Over the next 22 km up to the summit of Ovindoli, Izagirre and Rota was dropped. But the two stage leaders was instead joined by Hugh Carthy coming fast from behind. Again, Eiking took the KoM. At this point the favourite group was at 3’48.
The front trio was never caught, Odd Christian Eiking won the stage in front of Hugh Carthy and Anthony Perez. Eiking would also take the KoM lead.
Best from the GC was Richard Carapaz and Jai Hindley 4th and 5th at 1’04, Matteo Badilatti (from group Carthy) and Vincenzo Nibali 6th and 7th at 1’46. Richard Carapaz new GC leader, 6" in front of Simon Yates. On a great stage for Trek – Segafredo, where some on his main opponents lost time. Nibali moves up to 3rd in GC.
From Rocca di Cambio the tour caravan travelled just 25 km north for a start in L'Aquila. Todays we are racing northwest, along the edge of the mountains. After the stages only categorized climb Valico della Somma, we got 39 km downhill and flat before the finish in Foligno, at the Umbrian Valley. The morning breakaway was Greg Van Avermaet, Kevin Geniets and Jonas Rutsch. Neither of them well placed in KoM or GC, a typical TV break, with little hope of any result.
The break was over with about 10 km left, and the teams could prepare for the coming mass sprint. The stage was won by Mark Cavendish in front of Giacomo Nizzolo and Caleb Ewan. This was Cavendish’s 5th victory of the season, 3rd on World Tour level after also winning two stages in Tirreno-Adriatico. With this, Cavendish new leader of the points classification, with 7 points more than Ackermann. Matteo Moschetti finished 4th, the Italians best result this season.
From Foligno the tour caravan drove about 35 km northwest for a stage with start in Perugia, the capital of Umbria region. Heading for Montalcino the hilly route includes 35.2 kilometres on gravel roads. Many groups of riders, attacked the peloton and it ended with a large breakaway of 28 riders. They reached the first gravel sectors with a gap of 4’27” and 67 km left. Best in GC, Tony Gallopin at 17’42.
About 35 km later riders have begun dropping from the first group, now 18 riders lead the stage with a gap of 8’28” to the peloton. The group included Bouwman, Brenner, Declercq, Gallopin, Geniets, Gogl, Van Avermaet, Van Der Hoorn and Wellens.
Tim Wellens won the stage with 56” to Tony Gallopin and Greg Van Avermaet. Best from Trek – Segafredo was Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier 28th at 15’00. With this Tony Gallopin pushed Nairo Quintana out of GC top 10, otherwise no important changes in the GC still led by Richard Carapaz.
After the finish in Montalcino the tour caravan drove another 40 km north for today’s start in province capital Siena. With 212 km, the stage will be long and very undulated, including two longer climbs Passo della Consuma 17.1 km at 5.7% and Passo della Calla 15.3 km at 5.4%, before we reach the last challenge Passo del Carnaio with it 10.8 km at 5.0% and summit just 10.5 km from the finish line in Bagno di Romagna, located some 110 km northwest of Siena in the heart of the Apennines.
Again, we got a larger breakaway with 18 riders, best placed in GC Lotto Soudal’s Tim Wellens at 13’21. The breakaway also includes 1st and 2nd in KoM Odd Christian Eiking and Anthony Perez. Koen Bouwman takes the KoM at Passo della Consuma. At this point Bouwman, Conti and Paret-Peintre leads the race with 1’06” to a group with Wellens and Eiking. The peloton at 2’56.
Bouwman, now alone in front of the favourite group also takes the KoM at Passo della Calla, he got 20” to the race leader and 1’12 to a group with Nibali and Ghebreigzabhier. Koen Bouwman takes 37 KoM points today, but Odd Christian Eiking still leads the competition with a large margin. After Bouwman was caught on the descent, the leading group slows down and group Nibali close the gap. Adam Yates attack over the top of Passo del Carnaio.
Race leader Carapaz attack, followed only by Hindley and Vlasov, they catch Adam Yates. Richard Carapaz wins his 2nd stage of the Giro, in front of Aleksandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley. Nibali and Ghebreigzabhier in the next group losing 1’08”. While Richard Carapaz still leads the race, Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov now takes over 2nd and 3rd in GC, pushing down Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali to 4th and 5th. Nairo Quintana new at 9th in GC, pushing Tony Gallopin out of top 10.
The tour caravan travelled about 80 km north for today’s start in Ravenna at the southeastern part of Po Valley. From here we got 198 flat km, northwest through the valley, heading for Verona at the edge of the Italian Alps. After intense fight and a long period of high pace, it ended with a morning breakaway of two riders, Wanty Gobert’s Taco Van Der Hoorn and FDJ’s Rudy Molard.
As you might expect, it came to nothing on a flat stage like this, easy to control by the sprinter teams. It ended in a mass sprint finish, won by Caleb Ewan in front of Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani. Although the first in this tour, it was Ewan’s 9th victory of the season. Ewan previously won two stages in the Giro, both in 2019. Best from Trek – Segafredo today was Matteo Moschetti 8th.
From Verona the tour caravan drove about 75 km east. For today’s start in Cittadella, a pictures medieval walled city, located 50 km northwest of Venice. From here, the 206.7 km route will take us east riding mainly on flat road along the foot of the mountains for the first 133 km, then we turn north to climb the 10.5 km Forcella di Monte Rest at 6,1% and finally the 14.1 km at 8.5% up at a summit finish on Monte Zoncolan. With a final 3,5 km ramp of no less than 12.1%.
A morning breakaway was formed by 13 riders, but the pace was very fast in the peloton and they did not get more than a minute before they reached Castello di Caneva (cat.4) after 77.5 km. Only three riders survived the climb, KoM leader Odd Christian Eiking, FDJ’s Matteo Badilatti, and AG2R’s Michael Schär.
Some counter attacks began and eventually Visma’s Koen Bouwman, Israel’s Alessandro De Marchi and Bardiani’s Andrea Garosio made contact with the leading group. At the foot of Forcella di Monte Rest, four riders were in front Bouwman, De Marchi, Garosio and Schär. Now Badilatti at 1’24, Eiking at 1’34, the pack at 4’32. Bouwman took the 18 points at Forcella di Monte Rest.
Bouwman was the last to survive, he was caught about 4 km from the top of the final climb. It was a brutal climb, creating huge gaps it the pack right from the bottom, Richard Carapaz showing perfect form split the favourite group and rode the than last kilometres alone. He won the stage with 30” to Simon Yates and 1’06 to Damiano Caruso. This was Richard Carapaz 3rd stage win in the Giro.
It was a hard day for Trek – Segafredo, best was Vincenzo Nibali and Mattias Skjelmose as 16th and 17th, both losing 3’37. Nibali fell to 7th in GC.
The tour caravan drove about 130 km south for a start in popular tourist destination Grado, located at the northeastern corner of Italia’s coastline, close to the Slovenian border. From here we got just 142.2 km, heading for Gorizia at the foot of the Julian Alps. On a route with just some short hilly climbs.
It took a while for anyone to get a decent gap to a very fast peloton. But after about 60 km the pack suddenly stopped working and the distance grew from less than a minute to about three, over just 6 km. Israel’s Alessandro De Marchi won the KoM at the first passing of Gornje Cerovo. With Movistar’s Davide Villella right behind him. FDJ’s Fabian Lienhard at 1’15 and a few more riders further back between the leaders and the pack.
The three mentioned riders united after the climb and was joined by AG2R’s Jaakko Hänninen. The distance continued to grow, as no team was really interested in investing the necessary resources to bring them back. Under the 5 km banner they had 5’04. Alessandro De Marchi won the stage in front of Fabian Lienhard and Davide Villella. This was De Marchi’s first win since he won Giro dell'Emilia back in 2018. Best from Trek – Segafredo, Emils Liepinš 9th.
Just catching up on the last few weeks. Some nice results again with that stage win by Simmons in the Basque Country (also big shoutout to Emu Buchmann, there and in Romandie, too! ), Brambilla in the AGR, two in the Top 10 at LBL and then of course the Giro stage win and pink jersey for a couple of days. The podium might be gone for Nibali but the Top 5 are still within reach I reckon, hopefully he has a strong final week!
Thanks for reply.
Ya some really good results especially the Giro prologue. Sadly Nibali struggles a lot in the high mountains, so really need good daily form. Right now realistically a Top 10 is more likely. But I hope for the perfect day to prove me wrong.
Today’s start will be in Sacile, a historic city located on and around two islands of the river Livenza, about 105 km west of yesterday’s finish. From there we got four major obstacles, first the early 11.6 km La Crosetta climb at 7.1%, then the 13.5 km Passo Fedaia at 7.7%, the 11.9 km Passo Pordoi at 6.7% at an altitude of 2232 meters and finally the 9,8 km Passo Giau at 9.3% at an altitude of 2225 meters, with just 17,5 downhill km left before the finish line in Cortina d'Ampezzo. An alpine valley town in the heart of the southern Dolomites.
The race starts rainy and Niklas Eg crashes after La Crosetta, but get back after just a few kilometres of chasing.
The morning breakaway consisted of Koen Bouwman, Diego Rosa, Tony Gallopin, Domenico Pozzovivo, Mark Donovan, Andreas Kron, Lorenzo Rota and Davide Orrico. Kron and Orrico was dropped relatively early, the others all made it over the Cima Coppi category climb Passo Pordoi. Koen Bouwman and Domenico Pozzovivo took respectively 88 and 99 KoM points today, making it to 1st and 2nd in that competition. Domenico Pozzovivo first over Passo Pordoi with a gap of 5’12 to the pack.
Richard Carapaz, Aleksandr Vlasov and Emanuel Buchmann attacked on Passo Giau, ending the breakaway’s dream of victory. Carapaz first over the top with a gap of 50” to the duo behind. It ended in another dominant victory for the Ecuadorian race leader, his 4th stage victory of the tour. Aleksandr Vlasov 2nd and Emanuel Buchmann 3rd, both at 39”. Best from Trek, Vincenzo Nibali 9th at 2’13 falling another step back to 8th in GC.
), Brambilla in the AGR, two in the Top 10 at LBL and then of course the Giro stage win and pink jersey for a couple of days. The podium might be gone for Nibali but the Top 5 are still within reach I reckon, hopefully he has a strong final week!
