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Tuesday, May 7, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it. - Edgar Allan Poe

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Current racing:

• May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia

Upcoming racing:

• May 11: Tour du Finistère

Latest completed racing:

• May 5: Tro-Bro Léon
• May 4: GP du Morbihan
• May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt
• April 21 - 28: Tour of Turkey
• April 23 - 28: Tour de Romandie
• April 26 - 28: Vuelta Asturias
• April 21: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
• April 15 - 19: Tour of the Alps
• April 17: La Flèche Wallone

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Giro d'Italia stage three reports

We posted the report from the race organizer and second-place Geraint Thomas' Team INEOS Grenadiers with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Tim Merlier came out on top in Fossano after a breathtaking finale at the end of an awkward stage 3, signing off Soudal Quick-Step’s 120th Grand Tour stage victory. The Belgian, who is riding the Corsa Rosa for just the second time in his career, prevailed again in Piemonte, just like he did in 2021, at his debut.

“It was a hard finale, the hardest of my career. The team did a great job to put me in a good position, and that’s why I want to say a big thank you to Bert, Julian, Luke and Mauri. They brought the attackers back. Once this happened, I knew I had to jump like never before and that’s why I did. For a moment there, I lost the slipstream, but I found one quick and confident in my legs and the fast Specializes bike I have, I gave my best and I am really happy now”, Merlier said moments after his eighth success of the season.

Tim Merlier on the podium after winning stage three. Sirotti photo

The stage that started from Novara, where Tim triumphed three years ago, had a slow first two hours, nobody being interested in forming a breakaway. Things completely changed after the first intermediate sprint, where almost all the fast men got involved in the fight for points. Soon after, those 25 men, including Soudal Quick-Step’s Luke Lamperti and Tim Merlier, peeled away, kicking the stage into life and putting two minutes into the peloton.

That move made for an interesting development, with the bunch being forced to chase hard in order to bring them back, the catch happening only 44 kilometers from the line. The peloton continued as one until the punchier final kilometers, where the pink jersey attacked together with two other riders. This action spread panic in the field, who had to up the tempo on the flat three kilometers to the finish. Our team was among those committed to the chase, ramping up the speed on the finishing stretch and reeling in the trio with just 300 meters to go.

As soon as he found some space on the right side of the road, Merlier put in a massive acceleration that catapulted him into the prestigious maglia ciclamino, which he will wear on Tuesday. It was an emotional victory for Tim, who dedicated this win – just like the one of 2021 – to Wouter Weylandt.

“We knew there were going to be attacks on the last hill, but the team was amazing and made sure we had a bunch sprint today. I suffered in the finale, but I had the confidence I could get the win at the end of what was a strange stage. This victory is for Wouter, we miss him a lot even after all those years. It was an emotional moment, not just for me, but also for Iljo, who was in the car today”, added Tim.

Here's the Giro report from fifth-place Tobias Lund Andresen's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

After two days for the climbers and GC riders, the sprinters would possibly get their first chance to take success on Monday afternoon with the finish in Fossano. However, some hills in the finale could possibly tempt the attackers or those looking to make it difficult for the pure sprinters.

It was a calm start to proceedings with no real breakaway forming and the peloton cruising along, before the speed ramped up ahead of the intermediate sprint. Going through the sprint point the pace was high and a group of 23 riders formed out front with Kevin Vermaerke and Tobias Lund Andresen representing Team dsm-firmenich PostNL. Their gap quickly extended to one minute and 30 seconds before a frantic chase followed from the peloton and things were eventually stitched back together at 40 kilometres to go.

The team then came together and gathered around Fabio Jakobsen for the possible sprint finish. Keeping a good position at the front on the right hand side of the road, the hills started to come thick and fast in the finale. Nonetheless, Jakobsen had Vermaerke, Lund Andresen and Romain Bardet alongside him as they hit the last climb with four kilometres remaining. An infernal pace was set and Jakobsen dug deep but had to relinquish the bunch near the top, giving the call over the radio for Lund Andresen to go for it.

Coming into the finale, Vermaerke and Bardet helped Lund Andresen, who then chose a good wheel to follow inside the last kilometre. Charging towards the front, the rider in front of Lund Andresen swung out at just inside 300 metres to go, so the young Dane had to launch his sprint early – to make sure that he didn’t get swamped from behind. Showing tremendous power, Lund Andresen almost held on to the finish line but got passed in the last 50 metres, ultimately taking a strong fifth place with the team.

The big sprint finish. Sirotti photo

Speaking at the finish Lund Andresen expressed: “I felt good today. It was pretty easy in the beginning in the bunch when there was no breakaway. We just had to stay in front for the intermediate sprint as we thought a group might go there, and it did. It was good that Kevin and I were there so we could be in front of the facts and not on the back foot. Once we were brought back we then got together around Fabio to prepare for the sprint. In the end, Fabio didn’t quite have the legs on the climb so we decided to go for me in the finish. Fifth is a nice result in my first Grand Tour but I felt like it could have been even more today. I think we have shown that we are riding well together and are one of the teams that are sticking together in the finals, so I think we can get even more good results in the days to come.”

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Matt Winston added: “It was a pretty easy start and everyone can switch off if you’re not careful, but I’m actually really happy as we had marked the sprint point as a place where a team could maybe launch a big attack. In the end there were 23 guys up the road and we had Tobi and Kevin in there, so we had an attacking option and a sprint option to play so that was nice. Coming into the final I think Fabio did a really good job but he was just a bit on the limit and dropped on that final climb near the top. He gave a really clear command on the radio of ‘Tobi go for it’ and then Tobi did a really good job. He had to open it at around 250 metres to go because if he waited at that moment then he would have got swamped, so he had to go for it. To get fifth place in his first ever sprint in a Grand Tour is a really respectable result and something we can build on.”

Here's the report from Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Olav Kooij finished sixth in the first bunch sprint of the Giro d'Italia. After a hectic finale, the 22-year-old Dutchman got boxed in, which prevented him from competing for the stage victory.

After a tough opening weekend, the sprinters saw a first opportunity today. From Novara, the complete peloton rode the first half of the race at a remarkably slow pace. Only after the first intermediate sprint, where Kooij took six points for the points classification, a group of around 20 riders continued their effort. Both Kooij - who was involved in a crash yesterday - and Christophe Laporte were present, but the attempt was nullified by the peloton with 40 kilometres to go.

There was a moment of panic in the peloton when the group was split into two pieces on a hill. Among others, white jersey Cian Uijtdebroeks ended up in the second bunch with several teammates. After a chase, all groups eventually merged again. A first bunch sprint in this Tour of Italy seemed inevitable. In the final kilometres, a short but treacherous ascent awaited the riders. On that hill, numbers one and two of the general classification - Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas - tried to surprise the sprinters' teams. Their attempt stranded in the final kilometre. In a chaotic sprint, Merlier eventually proved the fastest. Kooij got boxed in and had to stop pedaling several times. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike sprinter had to settle for sixth place.

“There was not enough space to launch my sprint”, Kooij responded afterwards. “I first tried it on the left hand side of the road, but I couldn't find a gap there. Then I tried over the right, but by then my speed was too low to go for the win. I am satisfied with how my feeling was on the bike today. Of course it wasn't perfect yet, which makes sense the day after a crash. I experienced little pain on the knee, so I hope that will improve further in the coming days.”

Cian Uijtdebroeks remains the Best Young Rider. Sirotti photo

Uijtdebroeks retained the lead in the youth classification. He was satisfied after the stressful stage: “The difference between the relaxed opening hours and the subsequent accelerations was big. We rode hard in the chasing group to rejoin the bunch, which succeeded. Today, some guys were tasked with keeping Olav safely in the front, but luckily I was always well surrounded by my teammates as well. I am grateful that the guys repaired that situation for me. I am happy that I got through this stressful day safely. Furthermore, I enjoyed my first day as a jersey wearer in a Grand Tour immensely.”

And here’s the report from 7th-place Ethan Vernon's Team Israel-Lease a Bike:

After two days of climbing, the sprinters had their chance on stage three of the Giro d’Italia and although it almost looked like they would be upset by a late attack from race leader Tadej Pogacar, it was Tim Merlier (SOQ) who claimed the bunch sprint while Grand Tour debutant Ethan Vernon sprinted to seventh place.

Vernon came from far back but found an opening with 250 meters to go, at which point the sprinters reeled in Pogocar and Geraint Thomas, with the Brit sitting in the fourth wheel before opening up his sprint.

“It was chaotic as we expected,” said Vernon. “I was pretty far back actually, coming into the last kilometer, and with the luck of sprinting, an opportunity opened up and I managed to get through a gap that took me in the first two with 200 meters to go. I opened up my sprint and I didn’t have the legs to hold it to the line. But, it was a good start.”

The peloton climbs near the city of Lu. Sirotti photo

After a quiet start to the stage with no breakaway in the first half of the race, chaos ensued when a large group of 24 riders, including many of the favorites of the day, went clear. IPT missed out but fortunately, the peloton managed to catch the group with around 40 kilometers remaining to set the stage for the sprint finish.

“We got caught out a bit there,” added Vernon. “Fair play to the sprinters’ teams. It made sense what they did to put guys like us, who missed it, on the back foot.”

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