100 km and then the dream vanishes

8 km was enough and then off we went, the breakaway began, a script already seen at Milan-Sanremo, but fortunately with a decidedly different epilogue. No falls and almost 3 hours of close ups Andrea Pietrobon, live on television with the whole world. In some places the Polti Kometa rider was literally surrounded by crowds of fans along the streets of the first stage of the 107th Giro d’Italia.

REALIZED DREAM
Thus began the first Giro in the Belluno area, a dream he had cherished since he was a child and which finally – in spite of the numerous misfortunes he has had to face up to this day – has become reality. A more beautiful reality than expected considering that after just 8 km Pietrobon decided it was time to show what he is made of and took off together with Filippo Fiorelli (Bardiani), Louis Barré (Arkea), Nicolas Debeaumarché (Cofidis) , Lilian Calmejane (INtermarché) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek). Almost three hours of escape, over 100 km. Once in the Superga area, however, the group breaks up, two speed up, a hole is created, Pietrobon and Fiorelli are left alone in pursuit of the 2 fugitives. With less than 40 km to the finish, the gap from the “peloton” (as the large group is defined in jargon) remains 2 minutes, but the big names are behind them and have no intention of letting them go.

At minus 30 km, just before the last crossing of the finish line and the attack on Colle Maddalena, the rider from Cadore was swallowed up by the group together with his breakaway companion. For a few minutes you can clearly see him pedaling side by side with the champion Pogacar, in the middle of the large Uae group. But then the 100 km of escape make themselves felt and Pietrobon loses contact with the group which in the meantime has also swallowed up the two escapees. The rest is history, the winning sprint of the Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos), the only one capable of keeping up with the Slovenian, indeed of even putting his wheel in front of the Giro favourite.

8 MINUTE DETACHMENT
Pietrobon will finish in 74th place (out of over 200 runners) at 8’13”, but it remains a memorable day as he himself always recounts with his cheerful and moderate tone of a good boy: «I’m happy, the goal was to go on the run , we thought it would be more difficult because we were convinced that many wanted to start like us, luckily in the end after a few sprints we took off and no one came after us.” A unique day: «I’m happy, so much emotion, an audience along the streets that I’ve never seen in my entire life, something truly thrilling. It’s a shame because in Superga we had a bit of problems with the breakaway, we didn’t understand each other and in the end two of them left in front and two of us tried to catch them. It’s a shame because if there had been four of us left up to Colle Maddalena maybe we would have arrived a little further. Patience. However, I am very happy, excited and relaxed for the next few days because the Giro is so long and I have to take it calmly. In the meantime, I’m enjoying this day. And in any case I’m not satisfied.” Words that help us understand the spirit of Andrea Pietrobon, it won’t be surprising if we see him again on the run.
THE PROGRAM
Today second stage from San Francesco al Campo to the Sanctuary of Oropa (Biella): 161km for 2300 meters of altitude difference.

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