Desenzano del Garda, 18 May 2024 – La stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia 2024 bring the caravan from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda After 31.2 km time trial: without any altitude difficulty, the day is perfect for the specialists, among whom the most awaited man stands out, Filippo Gannawho ends his performance with a 35’02” unattainable for everyone. This time, unlike Perugiaalso for Tadej Pogacarwho pays compared to the Piedmontese for a totally flat route and without that final tear that in the previous time trial had seen him recover well 47”. In the end, it’s a celebration for both: for Ganna who, through tears, does not hide the emotion for the first victory of the season which feels like the end of a nightmare, and for Pogacar, which further gains on all its rivals, putting another mortgage on its pink jersey. It is also losing ground Geraint Thomasnow back of 3’41” from the Slovenian but from today in second place at the expense of Daniel Felipe Martinez, one of the disappointments of the day. Instead, it maintains the expectations of the day before Antonio Tiberistill fifth but with the serious possibility of putting in the sights Ben O’Connorwhich defends itself as well as Lorenzo Fortunato and especially Filippo Zana. But the Philip of this fraction is another: a Ganna to the penultimate time trial before the most awaited appointment, that one Olympicit’s a Ganna in tears unpublished which, in some ways, brings him further closer to people’s hearts beyond the excellent numbers that speak of an average speed of 54.3 km and even a maximum peak of 78 km/h. There stage 15the Manerba del Garda-Livigno (Mottolino)represents the main bugaboo of the entire Corsa Rosa in light of the extreme length (222 km) and altitude difficulties: 5 GPM to climb, of which i 3 all first category finals, for a total of 5400 meters of altitude difference.
The news
The first interesting half is that of Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step), which closes in 36’58”: they do even better Maximilian Walscheid (Team Jayco AlUla) and his 36’50” And Dan Hoole (Lidl-Trek) and his 36’41”. The two giants of the group are undermined by Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar Team), which closes in 36’34”and Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike), which reports a 36’32”. Then it’s up to Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates), which arrives at Desenzano del Garda After 36’30”while the former world champion Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) closes in 36’28”. As expected, everything changes when it hits the streets Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), who takes the lead in the two intermediates thanks to his passes in respectively 9’39” And 26’47” before putting the exclamation point at the finish line thanks to a stratospheric time of 35’02”. Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) closes in 36’20”: who can worry the summit is Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), which at the first intermediate stage is just behind 5” before sliding into a curve to the right. It is no coincidence that in the second intermediate the American has a gap of 39”from his teammate Ganna which becomes of 1’35” upon arrival. Then the time trial of the most anticipated men in the general classification begins: he is among them Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), which moves to the first intermediate in 9’56” after an uncertainty practically at the first corner. Somewhat surprisingly, it does even better Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R The World Team), which at the intermediate of Solferino just pay 15” late from the summit: very good too Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and his 9’50” before closing with a delay of 1’07”. However, it disappoints Daniel Felipe Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe), which opens with a very high 10’09”. They then move on to the first intermediate Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and above all Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates): the first passes in 9’50”while the second scores a sensational 9’35” how barefoot Ganna from the summit of Solferino. Filippo Zana (Team Jayco AlUla) ends in 37’34”While Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan Team), far from a specialist, finishes with a terrible result 38’52”: similar discussion for Romain Bardet (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and his 38’26”. Tiberi instead it ends in 36’21”: a time not useful for overriding Ganna but certainly good at catching up on several rivals in the general classification. At the second intermediate Thomas writes a 27’34”While Pogacar passes with a delay of 10” from Ganna: as expected, the second part of the route rewards the Piedmontese to the detriment of the Slovenian, who therefore leaves him by the wayside compared to the first intermediate 14”. The time is definitely high Martinez (26’08”) even more so in light of 36’16” final of Thomas: the Colombian instead closes in 36’47”being overtaken in the general classification by the Welshman, who in turn assists in the 35’31” Of Pogacar which smacks of a further crackdown on his pink jersey.
Order of arrival stage 14 Giro d’Italia 2024
1) Filippo Ganna (IGD) in 35’02”
2) Tadej Pogacar (UAD) +29”
3) Thymen Arensman (IGD) +1’07”
4) Geraint Thomas (IGD) +1’14”
5) Lucas Plapp (JAY) +1’18”
6) Antonio Tiberi (TBV) +1’19”
7) Ben O’Connor (DAT) +1’25”
8) Tobias Foss (IGD) +1’26”
9) Mikkel Bjerg (UAD) +1’28”
10) Edoardo Affini (TVL) +1’30”
General classification Giro d’Italia 2024
1) Tadej Pogacar (UAD) in 50h00’09”
2) Geraint Thomas (IGD) +3’41”
3) Daniel Felipe Martinez (BOH) +3’56”
4) Ben O’Connor (DAT) +4’35”
5) Antonio Tiberi (TBV) +5’17”
6) Thymen Arensman (IGD) +6’30”
7) Filippo Zana (JAY) +7’26”
8) Romain Bardet (DFP) +7’52”
9) Lorenzo Fortunato (AST) +8’40”
10) Alex Baudin (DAT) +8’56”
