Today’s finale was worthy of an Alfred Hitchock script: uncertain, enigmatic, moving and painful on one hand, thrilling and unpredictable on the other. The exceptional setting of Naples seafront did the rest: the epilogue of the Neapolitan stage will certainly remain one of the most symbolic of the 106th Giro d’Italia.
There was a general fear among the athletes of yet another day of heavy rainfall. Instead, a mild sun allowed the riders to “enjoy” a beautiful afternoon in the saddle and, above all, for fans and television viewers to admire the countless natural beauties encountered on the way: from the warmth of Piazza del Plebiscito and the Neapolitan suburbs to Pompei, the Valico di Chiunzi and its panoramas, passing by the Amalfi Coast, with Amalfi, Positano and Praiano, and then Sorrento, before returning to the Naples seafront.
It was a great feast, a worthy continuation of the post-scudetto celebrations, with the crowd accompanying the race along the entire route. And the riders made the whole stage even more memorable. The breakaway with Francesco Gavazzi (Eolo-Kometa), Simon Clarke (Israel-PremierTech), Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco AlUla), Charlie Quarterman (Team Corratec-Selle Italia) and Alexandre Delettre (Cofidis) not only animated the race, but strongly influenced it until the very last few metres.
