SAPPADA – The fifth Italian stage victory at the Giro has the signature of Andrea Vendrame. The 29-year-old from Treviso of Decathlon-AG2R emerges from the initial breakaway and is very good at attacking at the right time, downhill from the Sella Valcalda, the penultimate climb of the day, and beating seasoned people like Alaphilippe, Narvaez and two of the surprises of the Corsa Rosa, Steinhauser and Pelayo Sanchez. The solitary, triumphal arrival in Sappada: it is his fifth career victory, the second in the Giro after the Bagno di Romagna stage in 2021. Among Vendrame’s successes also the legendary Tro-Bro Leon, the Breton dirt track race that offers a piglet to the winner. “I had marked this stage from the beginning of the Giro, I knew how to manage myself in the best way. I’m a bit crazy, they call me Joker, I attacked downhill and managed myself well.” In 2016 Vendrame had a very serious accident: a car had mowed him down during training in Vittorio Veneto. Severe facial trauma and 60 stitches. Having turned professional the following year with Gianni Savio’s Androni, he found his dimension even in the world of adults: a decent sprinter in group sprints, and above all a man for breakaways.
In second place in Sappada, just under a minute away, Sanchez, then Steinhauser. Day of substantial rest for the men in the classification in view of the Bassano stage, with the double climb towards Monte Grappa which will set the overall on the eve of the Roman catwalk, but misfortune for Geraint Thomas, who crashes with Tiberi and slips heavily: he has to change bike, but easily falls back into the pink jersey group, held back by Pogacar, who favors the Welshman’s return. All unchanged in general.
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A route very suitable for escapes, and in fact after infinite attempts, about eighty kilometers from the finish line, a 19-man team is formed: Narváez (Ineos), Hermans (Alpecin), Velasco (Astana), Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R), Honoré (EF), Steinhauser (EF), Valgren (EF), Paleni (Groupama – FDJ), De Pooter (Intermarché), Stuyven (Lidl – Trek), Theuns (Lidl – Trek), Sánchez (Movistar), Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), De Marchi (Team Jayco AlUla). Plapp (Team Jayco Alula), Mattia Bais (Team Polti Kometa), Tratnik (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), van Dijke (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Tarozzi (VF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè). Duron makes the first selection: Alaphilippe, Steinhauser, Narvaez, Sanchez remain in front and Vendrame a little further behind. Pink jersey group at over 10 minutes, on a day of substantial rest in view of the Bassano del Grappa stage. Second climb, the Sella Valcalda: Alaphilippe is the most determined man, but Steinhauser, Sanchez and Narvaez, all already winners of a stage in this Giro, hold well. However, Hermans, Vendrame and Plapp did not give up. Vendrame himself goes on the attack on the descent and gains a good margin (1′) over the Alaphilippe group at the foot of the last climb of the day, the one towards Cima Sappada: it’s the good move. Five of them at the back try to mend things but struggle to find an agreement. So Steinhauser, the winner of the Passo Brocon section, starts from the small group. Vendrame also surpasses the Carnia Arena, the biathlon ring where Lisa Vittozzi from Sappada, the last winner of the World Cup in the sport that combines skiing and shooting, began her career. Pelayo Sanchez returns to Steinhauser, but it’s late, Vendrame flies towards the finish line with a full minute on his pursuers with 6 km to go. Pogacar’s group grazes at 16 minutes, serenely, with only one moment of pathos, the fall of Thomas. In the standings the Slovenian leads with 7’42” on Martinez, 8’04” on Thomas, 9’47” on O’Connor, 10’29” on Tiberi.
