For the second day in a row the breakaway arrives at the Giro d’Italia and in Rapolano Terme, in the Siena area, at the end of the spectacular dirt road stage, the Spaniard Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar) wins, beating the highly favored Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (in the three-man sprint) Soudal-Quick Step) and the Australian Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla). The three attacked almost 100 km from the finish, first with a larger group, and managed to resist the return of the big names. Piccolo fourth at 24″, Narvaez fifth at 30″ who leads the big group in the sprint. Nothing changes in the standings: the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar keeps the pink jersey, after having left it, in a virtual way, for about ten kilometers to the Australian Plapp: he has 46″ on Thomas and 47″ on Daniel Martinez. Tomorrow the time trial in Perugia (40.6 km) and on Saturday the challenging uphill finish in Prati di Tivo.
THE FINAL
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Sixth stage of the 107th Giro d’Italia, Torre del Lago Puccini (Viareggio)-Rapolano Terme, 180 km, with 12 km of dirt road divided into three sectors and the Muro di Rapolano at 20% at 4200 meters from the finish. Pelayo Sanchez, 24 years old, professional since 2021 and making his debut in the pink race, plays his cards very well against a clever champion like Alaphilippe. The Frenchman launches the sprint first, but Sanchez easily skips him. Asturian from Tellego, 24 years old, Sanchez brings a very prestigious victory to the Spanish Movistar and to the sporting director Maximilian Sciandri, from Tuscany, who was playing at home. This season he won the Pollenca trophy in Mallorca, beating the Russian Vlasov. For Alaphilippe, also making his debut at the Giro, who had animated and launched the decisive breakaway 70 km from the finish, a bitter disappointment.
NEWS
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In the first sector, Vidritta, which is also the inaugural stretch of the Strade Bianche dirt road, six enter, including the French Alaphilippe (winner Strade Bianche 2019), the Australian Plapp, looking for the pink jersey, and the Spaniard Sanchez, plus Trentin, Vendrame, Fiorelli and Groves. In the second sector, Bagnaia, also present on the Strade Bianche route, leads Alaphilippe and Plapp: the pink group at 1’47”. Great work by Milan in the cyclamen jersey leading the group, Pogacar in third position, then Lutsenko and Ballerini. Caruso did well on the Grotti climb, which concludes the second dirt sector. At the top of Grotti, 40 km from the finish, Alaphilippe, Sanchez and Plapp pass; half a minute Trentin, Vendrame, Groves and Fiorelli; the group at 1’23”. Average 46,200 km/h after three hours. With 28 km to go, the pink jersey Pogacar is already at 2’24”, the Australian Plapp in the standings is at 2’33”. At 25 km, in Monteroni d’Arbia where the Intergiro is located, Pogacar passes at 2’30”. At 24.5 km, Plapp has the virtual pink jersey. At 17 km Caruso falls, very sore: he will reach the finish line with 15’50”. Third stretch of dirt road, Pievina (2.4 km), never tackled at Strade Bianche: the lateral wind gives wings to the group, with the Ineos of Thomas putting pressure on Pogacar. The advantage of the three attackers drops to 1’20”. At 10 km, the three have a headwind and the group is recovering Serre di Rapolano, 33”. Leading the forcing group of Bardet, Uijtdebroeks and Pogacar.
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PLAN
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Tomorrow the seventh stage, individual time trial from Foligno to Perugia, 40.6 kilometers. Challenging finish after 34 km of very fast flat terrain: the last 6.6 km are uphill, with the Casaglia climb (1.3 km at 11.8%, max 16%) 5 km from the finish, and then the arrival in the historic center of Perugia (last 3 km at 3.2% and peaks of 11% at the final 2000 metres). It is the first of the two time trials of this edition of the Giro: the next will be Castiglione delle Stiviere-Desenzano del Garda, Saturday 18th, 31.2 kilometres.
