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Monday, May 20, 2024
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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. - Carl Sagan
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 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
Latest completed racing:
- May 14 - 19: 4 Days of Dunkirk
- May 18: Veenendaal - Veenendaal Classic
- May 11: Tour du Finistère
- 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
We posted the report from the race organizer and fourth-place Romain Bardet's Team dsm-firmenich PostNL with the results.
Stage winner and GC leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates posted this:
Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates continued to leave their mark at the Giro D’Italia, taking home the queen stage of the race from Manerba del Garda to Livigno (222km).
Tadej Pogacar wins stage 15. Sirotti photo
After tireless work in the valleys from his teammates, the Slovenian went clear on the penultimate first-category climb of the Passo di Foscagno, catching all the riders of the large early breakaway, with Nairo Quintana (Movistar) being the last to be brought back at -2km.
Pogačar: “Today was one of the best days– I would not say that it was the best day of my career but it was a really nice stage, really good route, nice climbs. The team did a super good job. We had this stage in mind since December.I’m super happy that we kept it under control. It was a really strong breakaway, but I gave it my all in the 10 or 15km. I’m super happy that I can win a queen stage in Livigno, one of my favourite places in Italy.
“We had to be smart all day – we couldn’t let the break go too much and then we spoke on the last climb with the guys. Rafa did a super good job after the switchback with a tailwind, so everyone suffered on the wheel. I just tried to keep continuing, and I hoped for the gap, and then I opened the gap and continued to the top.”
The riders will now take a well earned rest on Monday before another challenging stage from Livigno to Santa Cristina Valgardena (Monte Pana) (206km).
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Here's the report from sixth-place Geraint Thomas' Team INEOS Grenadiers:
Geraint Thomas climbed to sixth place on the Queen stage of the Giro d’Italia, with teammate Thymen Arensman close behind in ninth after a brutal six-hour mountain stage.
Daniel Martinez leads Geraint Thomas across the line at the end of stage 15. Sirotti photo
The day started at pace, with a huge group getting up the road including Jhonatan Narvaez and Tobias Foss for the Grenadiers.
Halfway up the legendary Mortirolo climb, and all eight team members were present either in the peloton, or the break, before Foss dropped back to lend assistance.
Onto the penultimate, and hardest climb of the day, and Narvaez would drop back to offer up vital assistance to Thymen and G.
With around 14 kilometres to go, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) would attack, and distance his GC rivals to take the stage and extend his lead overall. Arensman would do a large portion of work on the front of the chasing back, to try and peg the gap as much as possible.
Into the final few kilometres and this pace would crack all bar Thomas’ nearest rival for second overall, Dani Martínez (Bora - Hansgrohe). The Welshman would then duke it out with Martinez in the final few hundred metres to come sixth on the day, solidifying his podium.
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Here's the Giro report from tenth-place Jan Hirt's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Five classified climbs including the gruelling Mortirolo, an elevation gain of more than 5000 meters, over six hours in the saddle, low temperatures and a stage finish at 2345 meters – none of these could stop Jan Hirt from finishing tenth on the draining queen stage of the Corsa Rosa and moving up three places in the general classification ahead of the last race day.
Jan Hirt finishes tenth. Sirotti photo
An amazing fighter, Jan Hirt produced what was arguably his most impressive ride at this edition, showcasing his strength and determination on the stinting double-digit ramps of Passo di Foscagno and Mottolino, the last two of the day’s five ascents, where the GC action was ignited by an attack of the maglia rosa, with 14 kilometers to go. Just like on the previous summit finishes of the Giro, Soudal Quick-Step’s Czech remained calm and maintained a solid tempo which allowed him to finish top ten in Livigno, at the end of this highly selective stage.
The 222km relentless trek through Lombardia was animated by a huge breakaway group, where both Julian Alaphilippe and Mauri Vansevenant were present from the beginning of the day. The Frenchman – victorious in Fano and arguably the most combative rider of the race so far – and his younger teammate remained there until the final 30 kilometers, when the significant effort they put in up until that point began taking their toll on them. The duo was eventually caught and passed by the group of Hirt, from where the 33-year-old – runner-up in Oman three months ago – climbed to tenth place in the standings.
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Here's the Giro report from Attila Valter's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Attila Valter was part of the breakaway of the day in the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia. The 25-year-old Hungarian champion of Team Visma | Lease a Bike eventually finished 18th after a hard race. The stage win was for Tadej Pogačar.
To end the second Giro week, the riders were treated to a 222-kilometre long stage, including some 5,500 altimeters. The finish line was drawn in ski resort Livigno after the steep climbs of the Passo di Foscagno and the Mottolino. Today, a total of five categorised climbs had to be completed.
Once again, Team Visma | Lease a Bike showed attacking spirit. Both Valter and Jan Tratnik were part of a large breakaway after the second climb. After a new acceleration at the front, Valter stayed alert in the chasing group. For his part, Tratnik decided - with an eye on the third week - to save his energy. After climbing the Passo del Mortirolo, the Hungarian champion was able to take up position at the front again. The front group of 17 started the penultimate climb of the day with a lead of more than three minutes over the group of favourites.
Early in the stage. The peloton climbs the Colle San Zeno. RCS photo
In the front group, Nairo Quintana and Georg Steinhauser eventually proved the strongest. Valter kept fighting in the chase. Meanwhile, Pogačar also made his way to the front. In no time, the GC leader managed to pass everyone and then soloed to the stage win. Valter eventually reached the finish line in 18th place.
“I had good legs today”, Valter said afterwards. “I could always focus on being in the right group, in which I could ride patiently each time. Due to the presence of some riders with GC ambitions in the chasing group, I could also take a wait-and-see approach. Those were moments to catch a breath, but I heard that Pogačar was fast approaching on the penultimate climb. I prepared myself to try to follow him, but logically I had to let go again a little later. It was a good way to test myself. From then on it was suffering until the finish, but I can look back on my day with satisfaction.”
“We wanted to fight for it again today”, Tratnik responded. “We could choose to spend a day in the peloton, but that is never the correct mindset. We tried again, with a great performance from Attila as a result. Personally, I feel I am getting better and better in this Giro. In the last week there are definitely still some chances for me to show myself.”
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