GIRO D’ITALIA 2024 REPORT CARD
Seventeenth stage, Wednesday 22 May
Georg Steinhauser, 9: already on the Mottolino he had come close to achieving the feat, finishing third. Today the German is tactically very good at choosing the right moment to escape from the group, gaining a fundamental advantage of 3’20” and celebrating the first victory of his professional career.
Tadej Pogacar, 7.5: today the dictator in pink was magnanimous, he left the stage to others. He seemed to want to remain calm. However, after Daniel Martinez ‘dared’ to attack him, the Slovenian assessed the action as an act of treason. And in just a few pedal strokes, almost without putting in any effort, he once again overtook all the men in the rankings.
Antonio Tiberi, 8: today, if we don’t consider the alien, he was the best of the ‘humans’. When he saw Arensman and O’Connor in difficulty, he started pulling firsthand to gain precious seconds, finishing 3rd on arrival and also gaining a 4″ bonus. He has consolidated the white jersey and now fourth place is also close. Probably on Monte Grappa he will have to think more about defending himself than attacking, but in any case he should not be completely excluded from the fight for the podium.
Geraint Thomas, 7: The Briton reacted very well to yesterday’s bad day. He suffers from explosive arrivals, but he thrives when the stage is tough from start to finish, because he is a regular rider. Ineos’ forcing has had the desired effect: third place is now increasingly solid.
Daniel Martinez, 7: he tried to attack Pogacar and we know how it ended…Then he got behind Tiberi and Thomas, putting another step towards a second place that would have been deserved.
Einer Rubio, 7: the Colombian has perhaps his best day in this Giro d’Italia, finishing together with Tiberi and gaining a position in the standings, overtaking Zana.
Romain Bardet, 7: he was fine, in fact for most of the stage he made the team work. When he tried to attack from afar, even Pogacar closed in on him… And that’s when every dream of victory ended.
Thymen Arensman, 6.5: he had to sacrifice himself in service of the team. It is precisely thanks to his impulse that O’Connor broke away. However, the Dutchman paid for that action, losing 17″ to Tiberi (including bonuses) in the race for the white jersey.
Ben O’Connor, 4.5: the Australian confirms his sharp decline in condition. In a few kilometers he leaves a good 41″ to Tiberi, Martinez and Thomas. The feeling is that the day at Monte Grappa could prove very difficult for him.
Filippo Zana, 5: he is struggling and paying the price in practically every uphill finish. The feeling is that he is distorting himself in order to remain in the top 10, a result that could open up different career scenarios for him. But in the mountains it really seems like something is missing when compared to the best.
Lorenzo Fortunato, 5: in truth, already in the Apennines it was understood that it wasn’t so brilliant uphill. If you had saved yourself in some way there, there is little that can be done in the Alps. The top 10 is increasingly distant: he is now almost 2 minutes behind the tough Hirt.
Davide Piganzoli, 5.5: he has a very difficult day, but he doesn’t go adrift. He takes 2’19” from Tiberi’s group and remains 13th in the standings, moreover with a good advantage over his pursuers.
Giulio Pellizzari, 6: after yesterday’s second place, he takes away the satisfaction of being first on the Cima Coppi of this Giro d’Italia. Unfortunately for him, the group doesn’t give space to the initial escape attempt. We repeat what has already been stated in recent days: it would be a crime for Italian cycling if Pellizzari did not become a great stage racer.
