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Friday, May 10, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. - Douglas Adams

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Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Vol 2: 1971 - 2011 is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

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 six reports

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

Here's the report from third-place Luke Plapp's Team Jayco-AlUla:

Australian champion Luke Plapp delivered a stunning ride to third place on a relentless stage six of the Giro d’Italia.

Luke Plapp finished third in stage six. Sirotti photo

On a day that didn’t see a breakaway form until more than halfway through the 180km stage, the 23-year-old displayed his talents to survive a charging peloton and battle for the victory in Rapolano Terme.

With tough terrain and three off-road sectors on the menu, a large fight for the breakaway was anticipated for stage six, and that proved to be the case, with Team Jayco AlUla constantly active as a series of moves came and went over the first 80km of racing.

Eventually a select group snapped the elastic and edged away from a chaotic peloton, with Plapp timing his jump across to the escapees perfectly. As the gap began to grow, Plapp found himself in the virtual race lead, but the peloton soon halted their progress at around the three-minute mark.

However, as the advantage began to tumble over the first two gravel sectors, Plapp pressed on the pedals and split the leading group, with only Julian Alaphilippe and Pelayo Sánchez able to follow the Australian’s pace.

The trio initially worked well together to re-establish a sizeable gap over the bunch, but as the final punchy climb approached, the attacks began. Plapp was the first to make a move over a short and steep uncategorised ramp, but he was soon forced to respond as the counterattacks were launched.

As the flamme rouge approached it was clear the leading trio would duke it out for the victory, but knowing he was up against it in a sprint, Plapp did all he could as he powered to the finish, eventually crossing the line in third place at the end of a brutal stage.

Luke Plapp:
“That was an insane day. The race was out of control the whole race, it was ridiculous for the first 80km and then when it had control, I was able to jump. Then the three of us worked reasonable well to the finish, we played games a bit. I was half eyes on looking for time and then half on the stage, so I ended up riding a bit harder than the others and they were sort of playing it out, but in the end, I’m happy.

"I felt really, really strong on the climbs, but those two are super punchy, so it was always going to be really hard to get away, especially on those short climbs, and I knew I wasn’t quicker than them in the sprint. I tried to actually go on the gravel climb a long way out, but they were able to stay with me, and I was just glad we worked reasonably well together.”

"I knew they [UAE] were never going to let it go [the gap], you could see from the gaps they were keeping they weren’t willing to let the jersey go. I tried to be efficient and save a bit for tomorrow as well, but it was a good day, beautiful weather and it was a good day out there in the break.”

Here's the Giro report from Cian Uijtdebroeks team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike put up a good fight in the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia. At the beginning of the stage, the team was active to be in the early breakaway, but several breakaway attempts failed. After that, Cian Uijtdebroeks easily maintained himself in a group with all the favorites.

The stage started with an intense fight to get in the breakaway of the day. Dozens of attempts by different riders led to nothing. Among others, Jan Tratnik, Tim van Dijke and Attila Valter tried to break away. After several fast hours of racing, a group went clear and Spaniard Pelayo Sánchez proved to be the strongest at the finish.

A few seconds behind, Uijtdebroeks showed himself in the group of favorites. The white jersey wearer was attentive on the wheel of Romain Bardet when he attacked. Uijtdebroeks goes into the time trial as number four overall.

Cian Uijtdebroeks continues to lead the Young Rider Classification. Sirotti photo

For the young Belgian, it was the first time he rode a race on gravel. “I liked it. I enjoyed myself today. I wasn't really racing with the GC in my head, but just set my mind to zero. Who knows, maybe I'll ride Strade Bianche in the future. I really enjoyed myself. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same in the time trial. So far everything is going well for me in this Giro. I can't complain about that. Tomorrow I'm going to ride as fast as I can and I'll see what that will be worth,” Uijtdebroeks said.

Uijtdebroeks praised the work of his teammates. Valter, among others, was able to assist him deep into the final. “I put a lot of energy into the beginning of this stage,” confessed the Hungarian. “It was an intense start. The second part of the stage was also very tough. I was dropped a few times, but always returned on fighting spirit. That's how I was able to keep up with Cian. I felt that I wasn't the only one suffering in the final part of the stage. In terms of Cian's GC, we did a good job. He got through his first gravel race of his life in a good way.”

Here's the report from Romain Bardet's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL:

A much anticipated stage which featured three gravel sections and multiple rolling Tuscan hills saw an exciting battle for the break, some strong Team dsm-firmenich PostNL teamwork and a Romain Bardet attack in the finale.

It was a fierce start to the stage as there was a strong sense in the peloton that it could be a good day for the breakaway. As a result, the bunch covered the opening 50 kilometres in just under one hour, before they charged onto the first climb. Kevin Vermaerke and Gijs Leemreize followed multiple more attacks on and over the climb, before eventually the elastic snapped and a break went clear. With Vermaerke, Leemreize and Chris Hamilton in the peloton, the team supported Romain Bardet onto and over the gravel sections; where the group thinned down as the pace went up.

The peloton about an hour into the race.

After some good positioning work by Hamilton, Bardet launched a stinging attack on the steepest section of the final climb, looking to break the shackles of the bunch. However, the GC favourites were quick to snap onto his wheel so over the top of the ascent there was no point further continuing with the attack. The remaining trio from the breakaway would ultimately go on to fight for the stage win while Bardet came home safely in the reduced peloton ahead of tomorrow’s tough time trial.

Bardet expressed: “It was a good day. I’m starting to feel better and more healthy so it looks like my Giro is finally starting. We want to approach the race on the attack and on the offensive. I had some good support from the guys throughout the day and I really enjoy riding on the white roads, so wanted to make the most of today and go on the attack in the final. I never lost the confidence and knew that once that my problem was fixed then we would be back in the race, so hopefully from now we continue to go upwards.”

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Matt Winston continued: “The team worked really well today. Fabio was brilliant before the first climb, Romain didn’t have to think and he could just follow in the wheel and got pulled along. On the climb Kevin and Gijs were active because we knew that if it went there then it would be a strong break, so they were really good there. Eventually a break went clear, and we had Kevin, Gijs and Chris with Romain for a really long time to support him, which was nice to see. Romain tried an attack in the final but directly the GC favourites were in his wheel so he wasn’t able to get any space. I think we can take some positives from today. The only downer is that Tobias isn’t feeling super well at the moment, but he’s got a TT day to try and recover tomorrow.”

And here’s the bad news from Team Israel-Premier Tech:

The dream shattered. There’s no more accurate way to describe the sad tale of the young Israeli rider Nadev Raisberg from Israel – Premier Tech whose Giro d’Italia journey ended yesterday after he broke his hand in a crash during the race.

Unfortunately, the team also lost its two Canadian riders, Mike Woods and Riley Pickrell. Woods, who fell in the same crash as Raisberg, suffered a concussion and was forced to withdraw from the season’s first Grand Tour. Although he felt well enough to start Thursday’s stage, some slight confusion in Pickrell was identified and the team was not willing to take the risk given the possibility of concussion for him as well.

Raisberg, 23, made his debut at the Italian race in excellent form, dreaming big and aspiring to finish the long race to Rome with a performance to remember.

However, yesterday, in the final part of the fifth stage from Genoa to Lucca in western Italy, his dream was painfully crushed.

“It’s hard to find the right words now to express how broken and disappointed I am,” says Raisberg. “If I really try, I know tears will follow, so I’m clinging to the thought that I’ll come out of this stronger and will return this year to do another Grand Tour, maybe the Vuelta.

“I’m on my way home now, and I can’t believe this has happened to me. I was prepared for the best Giro possible, I was in excellent shape in the early days, and everything seemed so optimistic and promising, then this happened. We were gearing up for the climb when one rider caused a chain-reaction crash.

“My teammate, Mike Woods, fell, and I, who was riding right behind him, crashed over him and was thrown up. When I landed on my hands, I immediately knew something was broken, but I got back on the bike and prayed I was wrong. Even after the X-rays confirmed I indeed broke my hand, I still hoped the doctor would let me continue.

“But there was no chance. They’re talking about not being able to ride for at least a month. It’s very hard to digest, but I know I’ll overcome. In two days, the smile will return to my face.”

Michael Woods before the start of 2023 Tour de France stage 14. Sirotti photo

His teammates and the professional staff did everything to console him. The team’s sports director, René Andrle, adds: “This is a tough moment for Nadav and for all of us. He was excellent here, improving day by day, and we had every reason to believe he was going to have a great Giro.

“But then came this unfortunate crash. I’m heartbroken for him. He took it very hard, and I understand him, but we told him, ‘You’re young, and you will still do great things, even this season.'”

As it turned out this morning, the crash exacted another heavy toll when Mike Woods was diagnosed with a concussion and forced to abandon the Giro.

Raisberg adds: “It pains me that I won’t be able to help my friends in the race, and it hurts that Mike and riley can’t continue either. But I’m convinced that even without us, the team will still achieve great things in this Giro. I’ll cheer them on with all my heart.”

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