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Saturday, May 25, 2024

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2023 Tour de France | 2023 Giro d'Italia

I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter. - Blaise Pascal

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Les Woodland's book Cycling’s 50 Craziest Stories is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
• May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway

Upcoming racing:

• May 26: Rund um Köln
• May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge

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

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Giro d'Italia stage 19 reports

We posted the report from the race organizer and fourth-place Jhonatan Narvaerz's Team INEOS Grenadiers with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Andrea Vendrame's Team Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale:

Andrea Vendrame:
"The aim was to be in the breakaway; I'd had this stage in my sights since the start of the Giro and we'd talked about it with the team managers over the last few days. I was in the early breakaway, so the objective was met, but we got caught. After that, I was able to emerge with a good group and I managed to control my effort throughout the day. With 30 kilometers to go, I attacked on the descent. It was a bit crazy, but I'm nicknamed "the Joker" for it. Arturas (Kasputis) in the car encouraged me and gave me the right information to take me to victory. We've won two stages here and we're still placed overall with Ben (O'Connor) fourth. Tomorrow, the race passes by the house, with today's victory, it's a really special feeling."

Andrea Vendrame enjoys his win.

The number: 2
Like the team's second victory in this edition of the Giro d'Italia. A historic first, as the team has never achieved such a feat at the Giro.

Here's the report from seventh-place Jan Tratnik's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Jan Tratnik finished seventh at the top of the Cima Sappada after a day on the attack. With many Slovenian fans on the side of the road and a passage through San Daniele del Friuli, the place where Tratnik has previously won a stage in the Giro, he finished in a chasing group. The stage win was for Andrea Vendrame.

Jan Tratnik finishes seventh. Sitorri photo

The nineteenth Giro stage took the peloton from Mortegliano to Sappada. After a relatively flat run-up, three categorised climbs awaited in the finale. In a stage pre-labelled as an opportunity for the escapees, the peloton maintained a high pace in the opening hour. Edoardo Affini and Attila Valter were part of the first attack attempt, but they did not get any space. A lot of teams were aiming for a place in the right breakaway.

Moments later, ten riders did manage to form the first significant breakaway. Shortly afterwards a chasing group, including Tratnik and Tim van Dijke, also made the jump to the front. Behind them, the peloton dropped the pace. The escapees were allowed to battle for the day's victory. “I wasn't supposed to be in the breakaway today, but before I knew it I was riding in the front”, Van Dijke said afterwards. “In the lightning-fast opening hour, I had to go tremendously deep. It made me nauseous. But I knew I had to ride along to help Jan in the breakaway.”

The second part of the stage required climbing. On the first second-category climb, it went too fast for Van Dijke. Tratnik also had to let go of the new breakaway of six, including eventual stage winner Vendrame. The 34-year-old Slovenian, who could count on a lot of support from his fans near the Italian-Slovenian border, finished the stage in a chasing group. He eventually crossed the line in seventh place.

“This was definitely a day where I wanted to be in the breakaway”, Tratnik said. “A lot of other teams wanted that too, which caused a tough start of the stage. After the breakaway with Attila and Edoardo was caught, six riders immediately formed a new leading group. In the chasing group we never lost hope, which allowed us to close the gap before the foot of the first hill.”

“On that first hill, the Passo Duron, things went a bit too fast for me. On the steep sections Julian Alaphilippe was pulling solidly. If I decided to follow, my legs would explode. I decided to ride at my own pace in the chasing group. Also there we kept believing, but we didn't get a second closer. This result was the highest possible, but I can look back on this stage with satisfaction. I really enjoyed the support of the Slovenian fans along the way”, Tratnik concluded.

Here's the Giro report from ninth-place Julian Alaphilippe's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

One of the few riders that have left an indelible mark on this Giro d’Italia, which he animated every single time he sensed even the smallest of occasions, Julian Alaphilippe showed his superb form by going on another breakaway – his eighth since the start of the event.

Stage 19, featuring the mythical Cima Sappada – the site of one of the race’s most famous episodes – had a brisk start to proceedings, as many knew there was a strong chance of it being the last chance for a breakaway to succeed. It was with 125 kilometers to go, once Julian decided to ramp up the watts on a small but steep uncategorized climb, that a group snapped the elastic and carved out a gap which quickly ballooned to eight minutes.

Alaphilippe was the driving force of the 19-man group, not skipping any turns and putting in another impressive effort before launching a massive acceleration on the steepest part of Passo Duron, which made an important selection. Joined by only five men, Julian continued to push, and staying true to his nature, left everything on the road, by going again on the attack as he tried to further reduce the group.

When Andrea Vendrame made a move on the rolling roads taking to the bottom of Sappada, Alaphilippe was the first to chase, clawing back time and almost erasing the deficit to the Italian, but a lack of collaboration from his breakaway companions allowed Vendrame to increase his gap and eventually take a solo victory. Julian came with the second chasing group and finished ninth for Soudal Quick-Step’s 11th top ten at this edition.

Julian Alaphilppe finishes ninth in stage 19. Sirotti photo

“I feel like I gave everything today and I don’t have any regrets. I missed a bit in the finale, but that’s because of all the effort I put in up until that point. Anyway, today was difficult to win, as my fellow escapees were more interested in what I was doing than in going after the leader and trying to bring him back. At the end of the day, it was another strong stage for me in the breakaway and I am content with my ride”, said Julian after the stage which saw him receive the most combative rider trophy for the fourth time since the beginning of the Giro.

And here's the report from Enzo Paleni's Team Groupama-FDJ:

For the fourth time in this 2024 Giro d’Italia, Enzo Paleni hit the front this Friday. On a very hilly stage 19 towards Sappada, the young Frenchman managed to slip into the breakaway which fought for victory. Andrea Vendrame claimed the win while the Groupama-FDJ rider took sixteenth place after a tough uphill final. The last mountain stage of the Giro will be on the menu on Saturday.

Enzo Paleni finishes stage five. Sirotti photo

For many, it was the last stage suitable for the breakaway. Due to a very hilly profile but without any major climb on the menu, stage 19 was definitely an opportunity for the attackers. As a consequence, many of them wanted to enter the break in the first hour of racing. “A group went almost from kilometre 0 with good riders but certain teams who missed it and who absolutely wanted to be in front chased hard,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “So the pace was very high until kilometre 30, where the first little bump was located. Everything got back together.” “The goal was to join the breakaway today,” stated Enzo Paleni. “But it wasn’t easy. We caught the first break before the start of a technical section, then a group of six riders went on a climb with Alaphilippe and other strong guys.” The fight did not stop there, however, and indeed continued for another twenty kilometers. “I attacked with three guys later, then a final group of nine riders managed to bridge across,” said Enzo.

After more than sixty kilometres, the bunch finally decided to ease off and the 19-man breakaway could take off. “When I looked around in the break, there were only big names,” explained Enzo. “We knew that it was going to be hard for Enzo who was with better climbers and riders in good shape,” confirmed Frédéric. “Four riders who were there had already won a stage at the Giro this year: Alaphilippe, Narvaez, Steinhauser and Sanchez. The main thing was to have him in front, then the goal was for him to enjoy, give his all and achieve the best possible result. Just being in the breakaway today shows he’s got good form, because there wasn’t just anybody with him.”

The bunch completely lost interest in the stage victory, but the battle for it started too early for the young rider from Groupama-FDJ. “I tried to save as much energy as possible to be ready for the steep climb in the middle of the route,” he commented. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have the legs today to fight up front, so I hung on as much as possible in the group where I found himself”.

With the best ones attacking in front, Enzo Paleni was dropped around forty kilometres from the finish. “He was not the first one to be distanced either,” explained Frédéric. “He came too short in the final, which is normal in the third week, for his first Grand Tour, but he showed good things.” “It’s satisfying to have been in the breakaway, because that was the goal,” added Enzo. “It’s motivating for the future and makes me want to try again.” The opportunities should be limited between now and the end of this Giro, because before the expected sprint in Rome on Sunday, the double ascent of Monte Grappa (18 km at 8%) looms on Saturday for the 20th stage. “It’s going to be a hard day for us, but we’re going to hang on and try to get through this stage as best as possible and then focus on Sunday,” concluded Frédéric.

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