It thundered so loudly, one might say, that in the end it didn't rain. Looking at the stage that brought the group with difficulty to the Sanctuary of Castelmonte, they come to mindand words of Bartoli from a few hours ago: the first three are equalAnd there can be no other explanation for the timid tactics of Carapaz, Hindley, and Landa. With the mitigating factor in favor of the pink jersey: He already has the record and seeing climbs, days and kilometers pass by in such a… insipid way suits him more than fine.
«I would like to win a stage – he says – and I admit that when I won in 2019 I ran more aggressively. But we need to think carefully and between a stage and the Giro, I choose the Giro».
Family matters
When Richard finds time to talk about himself, his smile says it all. Probably the good mood is accentuated by having met his family who arrived from Ecuador. And it's not surprising that his words will ultimately sound like a threat to his opponents.
"It's important to have your family with you," he says. when we leave and leave South America, we go a long time without seeing each other. It was a busy day, though. In the end we found ourselves neck and neck, but we are on the same level and… we are still here. But I don't think it will end the same way tomorrow."
Without Doors
You can't really blame them if they really can't make it: the show stops when faced with objective limits. It would be different if everyone really waited for the Marmolada, emptying the other stages of any meaning, in a Giro that saw Richie Porte exit the scene due to stomach problems.
«Having lost Richie – says the leader of the 2022 Giro – is a bad blow considering that the most important mountain stage awaits usThe team is motivated, however. This morning we knew Porte wasn't well. He tried to start anyway, but as soon as the pace picked up, he had to give up. Luckily, today Explore He took the initiative and worked at the head of the group. I don't know why they did it and then got up again at the bottom of the valley, maybe because the descent was too technical and it wasn't worth insisting.. In any case, it's nice that it's not just the Team Ineos to work."
Is three seconds enough?
Hindley appears to be better than anyone. He walks with ease and has before him the chance that was denied to him at the Cancano Lakes, when asked to respect Kelderman's squad. He obeyed and showed up at the last time trial dressed in pink and Tao Geoghegan Hart undressed him without too many complimentsIt was said then, in that unusual Giro in October 2020, that if he could have gained ground, the outcome would have been different. For this reason, When today we saw Bora-Hansgrohe taking control of the race like in Turin, we thought we were on the verge of another extreme push. Instead, Gasparotto's team probably hoped to find a collaboration that didn't come and got back on its feet.
The Friulian sports director had been to study the stage together with Matteo Fabbro During the winter, it was reasonable to think of an attack. Instead, once they had finished climbing Kolovrat and landed in the valley, seeing that no one had joined them in their work, The German team's men spread out, handing the race back to Team Ineos Grenadiers which took her to the final climb.
«The Bora has done its part – continues Carapaz – Landa seemed very active with the whole teamWe've seen that we're on the same level, and as a result, it's difficult to make big gaps. But tomorrow will be different. I expect other scenarios. The arrival is at high altitude, the climb is tough. I really don't think we'll arrive together.. And even if it were to end like today and I arrived at the Verona time trial with a 3 second advantage, it will be better to have them than to start behind».
The ticket price
Let's say it clearly, speaking for once as enthusiasts: This stop was not worth the cost of the ticketIt is expected that on certain days the men in the general classification will be up there playing for the stage. Instead the disinterest of the leading group left carte blanche for the escapeSo much so that in the end the most surprised were the attackers.
"We struggled to gain a lead," admitted winner Bouwman amid a sea of smiles, "then we felt the Bora start to pull. We were still on the long climb, and I was scared. But at that point we all worked hard, and above all Affini, who sacrificed himself and took an incredible step. Half of this victory is thanks to him.. As for me, I'm still a gregarious rider, and these two stage wins won't change my mentality and expectations. If anything, I'll have more space when I don't have to work for my captains. I won my first pro race wearing the leader's jersey at the Dauphiné. It's wonderful that history repeats itself after such a prestigious stage."
Tomorrow is the big challenge on Fedaia, but first San Pellegrino and Pordoi In the post-stage discussions, Carapaz seemed very confident and close to the finish line
Tomorrow is the big challenge on Fedaia, but first San Pellegrino and Pordoi In the post-stage discussions, Carapaz seemed very confident and close to the finish line
The Dolomite stage
Thus Tomorrow we will finally go to the Marmolada, in a long Dolomite stage that will force them to conquer the San Pellegrino Pass from the most difficult side (the Agordino one) and the Pordoi Pass before arriving at the Fedaia. It's hard to say whether the organizers expected to arrive at the start with such small gaps, certainly there are all the ingredients for Landa to try to recover and Carapaz to protect himself from Hindley's comeback in the time trialAnd the Australian himself, who has already suffered the defeat of missing out on the Giro on the final day, perhaps wants to clear up his doubts before another mess-up happens.
«The stage was very tough – says Landa – and when the escape started, Bora did the work to go and get itThey pushed hard even on the penultimate climb, and when we reached the last one, I found it short and explosive. Not suitable for someone like me. I'm happy to have arrived with Carapaz and not to have lost ground... ".
