VEZZANO LIGURE – "Yaaah, yaaah." One hundred and fifty meters after the finish line. Kristian Haugetun lets out a liberating scream all alone which cuts through the quiet and small town of Vezzano Ligure. The second fraction of the Tour of Lunigiana has a thrilling ending that justifies the Norwegian's emotion and at the same time shows the regret of the Piedmontese Luca Morlino, overtaken in a comeback right on the finish line.
The other two protagonists experience the same diametrical moods. Seff Van Kerckhove, with third place on the stage, takes the green jersey of the general leader Anatol Friedl (eighth) for just three secondsThe day therefore lived up to and perhaps exceeded expectations, thanks to intense heat that exacerbated the difficulties of a tough and technically demanding course. Five "Kompa" climbs, including two near the finish line (before the final climb), provided the riders with ample reference points, as well as on the corresponding descents. But everything is resolved in the very last meters, as some of the protagonists will tell.
Viking of Bergen
Already in the first stage Kristian Haugetun He had made his mark by taking the polka-dot jersey for the "mountain climbs" before finishing in the first chasing group, a dozen seconds behind. That result must have given him some confidence, and with the confidence typical of his age (he turns 17 on October 5th and lives in Bergen, the city of the 2017 World Championships). in interviews before the start he had declared that he was aiming for success, not only to strengthen the climbers' jersey. No sooner said than done, and as the old cycling adage goes, a declared victory is worth double.
"This is my first win of the year," Haugetun told us after hugging some of his teammates, "and it means everything to me. This morning I said I wanted to do a great stage because I was feeling great, but it's never easy to live up to expectations. During the race I tried to stay calm, without overdoing it, then on the last climb I waited until the last three hundred metres to attack.It's been a long season so far, and I've always tried to take a step forward. I have to thank the team, which has been fantastic."
Present and future
The name Haugetun is one of the most popular in the category, especially considering it's his first year in the category. The Norwegian school is churning out talent, almost all of whom will carve out a place and gain recognition among the U23s and pros. Kristian defends the colours of Jegg-Skil-Djr during the season, a Dutch subsidiary of Visma | Lease a Bike, and rides a Cervelo. Today in Lunigiana he used a Ridley Uno-X. Again, Transfer market rumours say that there is already a tug of war between the two teams to take himThe impression is that he could move to his country's team, but in the meantime he tells us he still has one more year to do as a junior and anything can happen.
«Besides cycling – Haugetun tells us while eating a sandwich before the awards ceremony – I did triathlons for many years and in the winter I do cross-country skiing to keep fit.I don't have a real idol, but I really like Tobias Johannessen (winner of the Avenir in 2021 and sixth in the Tour de France this year, ed.). I like climbing and I want to improve my time trials, especially because I feel like a stage racer. Now in Lunigiana I'm wearing the "gpm" jersey, but the green one for the general classification isn't far off either (third at 14", editor's note). In the next stages I'll do the same as today. If I see an opportunity, I'll try to make the most of it.».
Showcase for Morlino
Up to the line he caressed the victory that he has been missing since 2022 when he was a student, but Despite everything, Luca Morlino can be satisfied with his second place, the most important of the three achieved this season. With this finish, he climbs to fourth in the standings (at 18"), temporarily becoming the captain of the Piedmont team, where Capello is still trying to find his form after coming down from three weeks of altitude training in Livigno with the national team ahead of the World Championships. With Morlino, we relive the final lap, taking a look at the jump to the U23s.
"The Czech Matejek was in the breakaway," explains the Novara native, who has always ridden with GB Team Pool Cantù, "and on the descent, Frigo, Pascarella, and I caught up with him, but we were all a little tired. We still had a lead of about fifteen seconds, but with a kilometer and a half to go, five or six more riders came back. At 300 meters, before the narrow passage, I started and up to 100 meters I was still all aloneIt's a shame because I knew I was fast enough, but I just didn't have the legs to resist and not let him pass. However I was beaten by a very strong guy and that's okay».
"The descents," he continues, "were as selective as the climbs, so much so that there were several crashes at the start of the stage. Personally, I tried to avoid taking risks, yet remained ahead at all times. I don't want to take any risks even in tomorrow's flat semi-stage, while in that afternoon move we will have to attack immediately since it is a very short stage.».
Now there's a general classification to take care of, and after Lunigiana he'll race the Trofeo Buffoni before aiming for other goals. "I'm in contact with a few continental teams," Morlino concludes hopefully, "even if there's nothing concrete. Since I'm moving up a category next year, I hope that today's second place can be a good calling card for me».
The third day of the Giro della Lunigiana, as anticipated, will be divided into twoIn the morning, a 54,4-kilometer half-stage from Equi Terme to Marina di Massa will likely be a sprint. In the afternoon, the route will run from Pontremoli to Fivizzano, covering 52,1 kilometers, with a slightly uphill finish on a circuit that will expose rouleur riders and general classification contenders. It won't be surprising if we see a few riders make a splash.
