When the calculations are wrong it is inevitable to pay a high price: the group falters and Benjamin Thomas takes advantage of it, going to take the stage victory in the stage that gives Genoa led the caravan to Lucca. They made the right escape Andrea Pietrobon, Enzo Paleni, Michael Valgren and Thomas himself: they got ahead of the group of sprinters who relied too much on the stretch Montemagno (brief rise to 4%) to hope to return to the final, but seeing each other sent back with losses for a handful of seconds.
Giro d’Italia, 5th stage: the group miscalculates
The fraction has proven itself quiet enoughalthough enlivened by a couple of breakaways which forced the group to increase speed based on the situation at the time. Askey, Bais, Gesckhe and Tarozzi they tried to exit already in the first kilometres, gaining just under a couple of minutes before being reached and taken back by the pink caravan on the Bracco Passthe only real hardship of the day.
Then to 75 km to go the four who reach the finish line relaunch the breakaway: they get along well and manage to overcome the one-minute lead, with the group unusually letting things go. When there are 10 km left until the finish line i 50 seconds ahead they already appear a bit too many to hope for a comeback, which in fact does not translate into reality: Pietrobon try to anticipate your escape companions 900 meters from the finishbut just in the last 50 meters Valgren And Thomas they manage to jump on his wheel, col French who has the strength to go and put his own ahead of that of his companions on the run. The group arrives after about fifteen seconds, regulated by Milan. However, today he is the big loser of the day, while nothing changes among the big names.
Giro d’Italia, stage 5: order of arrival and ranking
The order of arrival of the fourth stage of the Giro:
- Milan (Ita) in 4h16’03”
- Groves (Aus) st
- Bauhaus (Ger) st
- Kooij (Ola) st
- Merlier (Bel) st
- Dancers (Ita) st
- Gaviria (Col) st
- Zanoncello (Ita) st
- Mihkels (East) st
- Lonardi (Ita) st
These are the top 5 in the general ranking (here is the complete ranking):
- Pogacar (Slo) in 19h19’15”
- Thomas (Gbr) at 46”
- Martinez (Col) at 47″
- Uijtdebroeks (Bel) at 55”
- Rubio (Col) at 56”
Stage 5, Genoa-Lucca: report cards
- THOMAS 9: Geraint does not experience the Giro d’Italia alone. Benjamin, an expert French protagonist on the track, calculates his times perfectly and gives himself a victory that can greatly enrich an entire career. Lucid, attentive and rapacious: a perfect sprint to complete a perfect day.
- PIETROBON 8: he admitted that he didn’t have the legs to compete in the sprint, and he invented a sprint just inside the last kilometer with which he sent shivers to his direct rivals in the breakaway. He plays his cards as well as he could do.
- VALGREN 7: all in all he tries and is the first to catch Pietrobon, managing to jump to his wheel and put him behind him a handful of meters from the finish line. Thomas has more and strips him at the best moment, but he has little to complain about.
- EWAN 6.5: he finishes sixth, but second in the sprint. Ergo, the Australian sent a small signal (but a very small one). He must be taken for what he is: Ewan has signed up for this Giro d’Italia, but we’ll talk about the sprints next week.
- MILAN 6: he does his thing: they take him to the front of the group and he regulates it, with Ewan (revived), Bauhaus, Merlier and Kooij behind him. But it’s only the sprint for fifth place: out of three potential victories, only one ended up in his palmares.
- LIDL TREK 5: if you are the strongest sprinter’s team, and if you know that in this Tour of stages there aren’t many fast wheels, you can’t think of miscalculating the breakaway. Huge mistake that Milan pays at a very high price.
- ALPECIN 4.5: he spends unnecessary energy trying to force the pace at the front of the race when there is an eternity left before he reaches the finish line, trying to favor Kaden Groves. Result? Escape gone and Groves did not reach the sprint. Ouch ouch…
Giro d’Italia, the dirt road stage tomorrow
Field day for the stage of the dirt roads: from Torre del Lago Piccini and Rapolano Terme, after 180 km, there will be some dust (and perhaps mud) on the tubulars of the pink caravan. Not an easy stage due to the many bumps expected from the first GPM to Volterra up to the first two stretches of dirt roads “borrowed” from White Roads (Vidritta and Bagnaia). That of Pievina, followed by the tears of Asciano And Greenhouses dthe Rapolano (700 meters at 10%) are intended for selection.
