VALONA (Albania) – You can study all the altimetry you want, but when you then have to carry your weight and your fatigue on it, Well-laid plans don't always work out perfectly, as happened today at Lidl Trek. But if the first stage of this Giro d'Italia It had been a simple execution, but winning the third stage and reclaiming the pink jersey from Pedersen required a much less trivial effort. If effort ever is.
«It was a very hard day on the bike – said the Dane who seemed moved after the finish – but the way my teammates rode today, I felt compelled to give my all to win the stage and take back the pink jerseyNow I want to enjoy it for as many stages as possible, trying to win some more if necessary."
The shape of life?
The three-day Albanian edition of the Giro ends in Vlora. It had started off uphill, with that contract that wasn't signed and the delay of a presentation that was announced and then cancelledWe flew down here with some reservations and a few too many prejudices, but instead we found a country that certainly has a long way to go, but that strongly wants to do soAnd when yesterday after work we found ourselves walking in the heart of Tirana to pick up the car parked a kilometer from Quartier Tappa, we were surprised by the many bikes, families and children in the avenues of the centerWhile today, on less frequented roads, the one that struck was the wild nature of a place that deserves to be discovered more deeplySuffice it to say that the men of the CAI were called in to trace the paths in the mountains behind Tirana and they have only recounted wonders.
«The first three stages of the Giro in Albania – Pedersen underlined – were perfect for me. It was easier to show what I can do. I hear you say I'm in the shape of my life, I just think I'm in a good condition, which we have managed to maintain from the Classics until nowI had some doubts today, but we managed to run the way we wanted. Vacek was amazing, this guy has a great futureI'll do everything I can to help him win a stage. He's a machine, he's worked so hard for me. during the ClassicsI'm proud to have such a rider by my side."
Guercilena's plan
Primoz Roglic honored the pink jersey. La Red Bull-Bora he pulled to not let the escape go beyond the guard limit and offered a very welcome throw to Lidl-TrekFor more than half the stage the American team was just barely getting by on the shoulders of Jacopo Fly who took them all for a walk up to the last two climbs. At that point, while encouraging flashes of blue could be seen in front with Germani and Tonelli in the first breakaway, then Fortunato and Garofoli in the counterattack, Luca Guercilena's team switched on autopilot and managed the climb of Oafa E Llogarase at the best pace for PedersenAnd the Dane, who is a champion in his head before his legs, only gave in when Pidcock and a few others showed their muscles in front. These were taster actions and nothing more, because such a long and demanding climb 40 kilometers from the finish does not authorize us to say that more could have been expected.
«We had targeted both the first and third stages – says Luca Guercilena – but We believed in this one a little less, because the climb was really toughThe boys, however, are going strong and the team is very cohesive and this means that we are working well. With Ciccone, who was once again exemplary today, we will continue to live this Giro a day e after the Pisa time trial we will make a first point».
Ciccone's calm
The person concerned received the following after his arrival: the embrace of the pink jersey (opening photo), then he caught his breath, drank and replenished the first sugars and then he spoke with the solidity that has distinguished him for some time now. Thanks, as Guercilena says, to his wife, but also to his athletic maturity and his experience of racing without apparent pressure.
«Today the plan included what we then did – he said – but It wasn't easy, because it wasn't a simple stage to manageWe did another great job, but we knew Mads could handle that climb. When he's well, he has fun at certain stagesYesterday he didn't seem so sorry for losing his shirt, but pretty much motivated to get it back».
The new cycling
While the caravan is about to take the road to Italy and tomorrow will experience its first rest in Puglia, the parallel sprints deserve an observation Marcellusi and Fiorelli, both riders of the VF Group-Bardiani, finished in eighth and ninth place (even if the first was then demoted from eighth to 85th position and in eighth place he found his partner). In other times we would have cried out that it was a mistake and claimed that if they had helped each other, they would have brought home something better. Today, this is probably no longer the case and we say this after having spoken about it at length at the departure from Durazzo with Roberto Damiani.
The Cofidis technician had to admit that the need to score points and take care of the ranking It is also leading the most successful sporting directors, those who would have reasoned as in our premise, to hold your nose and ask the riders to sprint all together to score as many points as possibleMarcellusi's relegation aside, taking home two top-10 finishes, knowing they couldn't win, would have been a significant haul for VF Group.
