Jonathan Milan sometimes he makes mistakes due to an excessive desire to unleash power, but faced with wind conditions that were not too favorable, the Friulian sprinter changed tactics and won the eleventh stage of the Giro d’Italia.
Bahrain’s Victorius gave his encore in the Corsa Rosa by playing cunning and winning the sprint in Francavilla al Mare ahead of the Australian Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and the Venetian Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti-Kometa).
Beginning with a three-way escape consisting of Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Edoardo Affini And Tim Van Djike (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), the latter free from wingman duties after the captain’s retirement Cian Uijtebroeks.
The pacesetters gained up to almost three minutes of advantage, but the approach to the Adriatic coast and the possibility of fans pushed the group to close the gap just over seventy kilometers from the finish line.
Given the calmer situation, the platoon left space for the attackers again before finally taking them back thirty-five kilometers to the finish line.
Final in the hands of the teams of sprinters and ranking men who held the top of the group until the entrance to Francavilla al Mare where Jonathan Milan best managed the headwind and the falls that characterized the finale, thus anticipating Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step), Kaden Groves and Giovanni Lonardi.
An incorrectness by the Belgian led the jury to demote him and thus change the result which saw the Australian sprinter and the 27 year old from Verona in second place.
No news in terms of general classification with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) who retained the pink jersey with 2’40” over Daniel Martinez (Bora Hansgrohe) and 2’56” up Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), while Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorius) is the best of the Italians in fifth place with 4’27” from the Slovenian.
