INEOS GRENADIERS. 8.5. If Pogacar wasn’t there, Geraint Thomas would be there competing for the Giro. Second with 15″ ahead of Dani Martinez: for the moment both are playing on another table, let’s say another sport. Among the participants in the AltroGiro, not organized by Arbore but by Vegni, Thomas and Ineos are absolutely the best (first in the classic team special). Thirteen placings in the ten, a stage victory with Narvaez, one with Ganna and a constant presence, even if they constantly remain behind.
BORA HANSGROHE. 8. They are doing their best to fight the extraterrestrial, but for the moment they are there, aiming for something unattainable. Nine placings in the top ten, an avant-garde race and the desire to leave no stone unturned. Dani Martinez is not afraid to respond to the alien, but he is aware that at a certain point it is better to let him go his own way, which is on another galaxy.
UAE TEAM EMIRATES. 10. He is a team man, because this applies to everyone, even if Taddeo has a very good team. Great work from everyone, especially Novak and Majka. Nine placings in the ten, including four stage victories with the Slovenian magician. Taddeo’s conduct was exemplary in the race, the one after him was even more so: with his smile and his manners he was almost disarming. In the group when he leaves and goes they would like to curse him cordially, but when the games are over there isn’t one who doesn’t go and compliment him. Enlightened despot.
DECATHLON AG2R THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. 8. It’s been years since we’ve seen a transalpine team so willing to battle and be seen. In short, for this team it’s not just the Tour, it honors the “pink race” as it should. Seven placings in the ten, a stage victory with Valentin Paret-Peintre, 4th place in the general with Mr. Ben O’Connor. He’s less than a minute away from the podium, there’s still room to do something good.
ALPECIN-DECEUNICK. 5. Five placings in the top ten, a couple of well done sprints by Groves and Conci trying to keep the morale of the troops up: but the bottom line is that so far they have achieved little. They didn’t lose a single man, but they lost.
SOUDAL QUICK STEP. 7.5. Two stage victories with Tim Merlier and Julian Alaphilippe, eight placings in the top ten, a constant presence in the most important moments of the race. Hirt is 10th overall: in short, I’m not really here touring, but to leave a mark on a marked race.
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS. 7. They are always there and they are there in a significant way, with our Antonio Tiberi, who on his debut in the pink race is appreciated for his attitude and desire to do, even too much. But the boy has temperament and he shows it even in the stage that puts him in crisis: it is there that he judges himself to be a runner. He doesn’t let go, but resists with determined will, defending a position that is already a lot for a rookie: a 5th place in the general.
TEAM VISMA-LEASE A BIKE. 6. The golden child, Cian Uijtdebroeks, who was fighting in the white jersey and for the podium, loses. Loses Laporte, Gesink, Kooij who gives the team a stage victory and remains there weakened. Team decimated, they are working miracles.
ASTANA QAZAQSTAN. 6. Lorenzo Fortunato even impressed, with his continuity and resilience. Yesterday he paid his price, but you can’t throw everything away, he has done a lot in this Giro and it is likely that he will do some more good things.
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM. 6. Michael Storer is doing a lot, for himself and for the team. Two important losses (Krieger and Mayrhofer). Six placings in the top ten, a good ranking: not bad.
MOVISTAR TEAM. 6.5. Rubio tries to stay at the top and for the moment he has succeeded: 9th, over 12 minutes behind the squad. A stage victory with Sanchez, several valuable placings, like yesterday’s with Nairo Quintana, the first of the humans, in the AltroGiro.
LIDL TREK. 8. They had declared it: we are in the Giro to win the stages. Mission accomplished with Jonathan Milan, who is at three and could add to his tally this week. Armored cyclamen shirt. For them everything was as planned. And don’t change the channel.
INTERMARCHÈ WANTY. 5. They forgive Girmay and Petit, but what they lose is a lot. Anonymous race, from a team that has a good name.
ARKEA B&B HOTEL. 4. A 4th place in the third stage with Biermans. Penultimate place in the special team classification. They stand out for a beautiful motorhome and very high-quality bicycles.
TEAM DSM-FIERMENICH POSTNL. 6. They were here for Romain Bardet, but at the Giro there is the avatar of the transalpine rider: he looks a lot like him, but the artificial intelligence is still too artificial. Is he 7th overall? But for someone like him it is clearly not what he had imagined. If the real Bardet returns in the last week…
ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH. SV They lost half their team and frankly they are almost unjudgeable. Some good placings, but their Giro basically ended in the first week and now they’re just hoping to pull off some surprises.
COFIDIS. 6.5. A Giro of substance, with a beautiful stage victory with Benjemin Thomas and many actions worthy of mention. The team man? Clearly Simon Geschke, the German fighting for the blue Mediolanum jersey: that too is from Pogacar, but wearing it in his name and on his behalf is already something.
VF GROUP-BARDIANI CSF FAIZANÈ. 7. Several breakaways, many, three placings, two riders in the twenty (Pozzovivo 14th, Covili 18th) in the general classification, 9th in the special team classification. For a small team, that’s no small thing.
POLTI KOMETA TEAM. 7. Five placings in the ten, and what placings. At the moment I’m ahead of Tudor, which has very different vehicles, very different projects, I won’t say other runners, because Zanatta’s are very good. The 16th place yesterday of the very young Davide Piganzoli, fourth of the Italians at the finish, is a lot. It is a result that can say much more than the ranking.
EF EDUCATION EASYPOST. 5. Some good placings, a third place yesterday with the very good Steinhauser. A tenth place between the teams, but with the structure they have, perhaps the ambitions were different.
GROUPAMA FDJ. 4. It is clearly the team that more than any other since Turin is thinking about Florence, about the Tour. They came here with riders who have already arrived or never left. Three placings three. Last place in the special ranking. No other words are needed.
TEAM JAYCO ALULA. 6. The sprints of Mezgec and Ewan were missing, then Dunbar was especially missing, retiring in the first week. He’s keeping things going with Filippo Zana, who came here to try to win the stages, and now he’s trying to make the classification: he’s 8th, but he’ll try to do something more.
