NAPLES – A wild ride, that was the end of the stage. Pogacar passes by sniffling, his legs dry, his gaze scanning the heads in front of him. If he hadn't given the final push in favor of the sprinters, perhaps Narvaez would have finished first.Somehow the Slovenian got his revenge after the Turin stage, when the Ecuadorian won and prevented him from wearing the first squad. But perhaps these are journalistic deviations.: certainly it wasn't for this reason, but rather to launch Molano. He won kooij, who burned Milan and precisely the Colombian of UAE Team Emirates. Simone agree He's leaning against the barrier on his bike and just has time to catch his breath when Stuyven approaches him. The Bergamo native almost apologizes, but the Belgian replies that it's fine and that the important thing was that he was in the right place.
«My life is a chase – says Simone with a hint of irony – we had done everything right, if Narvaez got so far it's because we were all on the hook».
In eager anticipation
In the middle of the street, Julian Alaphilippe looks around. Maybe he has never been to Naples in his life and now he looks at the sea and in the distance all the way to Castel dell'OvoThe view is enchanting, the sweat on his forehead glistens in the late afternoon sun. The Frenchman is alive. Today, too, he attacked and saw the Gulf, Vesuvius, and the final kilometers approaching from his attacking position.
«If he wins today – murmured the masseur Yankee Germano when the Frenchman was still leading the race – he will unlock himself and in the rest of the Giro he will put on a show every day. But it would be important above all for his spirit».
Julian is alive
The Frenchman stands still, the world revolves around him. Two World Championships, six Tour stages, and three La Flèche Wallonne titles, but since the Liège crash in 2022, nothing has been the same. In June it will be a year since his last victory: the La Chaise-Dieu stage of the Dauphiné, it was June 5th. Yet the air of the Giro does him good. The (mocking) second place of Rapolano He re-proposed it as an attacker on dirt roads. Yesterday's breakaway towards Prati di Tivo is a question that awaits answers. Today's attacks on Naples were perhaps too many and illogical, but they confirm that Alaphilippe is there.
«I'm alive – he smiles in English – I'm happy to be here and I'm enjoying the raceMaybe today it would have been better to wait for the last climb, but I was in a good position. The route was very nervous and when I saw that steeper climb, I triedThe first time Costiou cooperated. When they came back, we initially felt like giving up. He got back up, and I tried to raise the stakes again."
Yesterday's escape
The atmosphere in the team seems to have calmed down. The scene of Lefevere passing him the water bottles while he is on the run suggests that perhaps the obstacle of certain tensions has been removed.It seems that even now there are negotiations for a contract renewal, after certain figures were paid to him in the last few months. reproached without great eleganceBut now all this doesn't matter. Julian is reconnecting with Alaphilippe and we're already wondering where he can try again..
«I'm super happy with my legs – he admits – I'm still a little bit away from the victory. But I also want to enjoy the race and right now I'm happy with how I feel.I hope I can keep trying to win until the end. I probably paid for yesterday's attack today, my legs felt a little heavier, but I think everyone is super happy that tomorrow is a rest dayThere was a strange pace all day, so it wasn't easy on the legs, but in the end both yesterday and today were nice routes for me. I like this type of climb, even if when I attacked I was a bit too far from Naples. I realized that even if I could get over the hill ahead, the road to Naples would be too long. So maybe it was better to wait for the final climb."
Narvaez Missile
Others also notice him and arrive with a microphone from Sporza, because the team is Belgian and the Flemish journalists are curious to know. Alaphilippe, however, now wants to get back to the bus.
"I tried," he repeats, "but unfortunately, in the first breakaway, there was an Alpecin rider who prevented us from finding a good understanding. That's also normal, I mean, he was working for Kaden Groves. It was a shame, but in the end I attacked from too far away, so no regrets. When I saw Narvaez passing me like a missile, I understood the mistake of having started too far away., but by then the omelette was done…».
Then he walks away. The line of buses begins a few meters ahead, and Julian sets off in search of his. The legs are responding, finally you can try runningIn this Giro d'Italia, where big guns are fighting for every finish line, bringing back a striker like him will spice up every day's dishes. We're back to the press room in time for hearing Milan admit that he made a mistake in the sprint trajectory, but admit they haven't had the legs they'd hoped for. Rest comes timely and long-awaited. Record averages and days without sparing a single blow have already left deep scars in their legs and on their faces.
