It’s a question of balance

Enrolling his name in such an epic stage in the end was Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), who did well to line up a group of fugitives of the highest quality. On the Crocedomini Pass, after a first hour of racing that flew by, as usual, at a thousand miles per hour, 22 riders managed to break away, many of them way back in the GC (from 10th to 20th position in the general classification) and others high ranking stage hunters. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) confirmed that he was seriously aiming for the Maglia Azzurra, challenging current holder Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) head-on. If on the Crocedomini it was the Abruzzese rider who got the better of the head-to-head, on the Mortirolo the strongest, but above all the shrewdest, was the Dutchman, who was able to insert himself in a group of riders who had taken advantage of the larger group of outriders on the Mortirolo, along with Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), Lennard Kämna (Bora-hansgrohe), Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Thymen Arensman and Chris Hamilton (Team DSM).

Thus, Ciccone’s attempt to reel in this small group resulted in a costly effort which he paid the price of, while Hirt and Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) managed to catch up with the front riders. The showdown, with the Maglia Rosa group down to a dozen or so in pursuit, came at the Valico di Santa Cristina, Kämna trying to go all-in from a distance, with Arensman and Hirt in particular capable of handling it better, closing in on him, and going for the win. The Czech made use of his experience and pulled away from the young Dutchman just before the top of the climb, taking from him those 15 seconds that he managed to keep until the finish.

In the Maglia Rosa group it was Mikel Landa who broke away first, with only Carapaz and Hindley able to answer him and Almeida a non-paying spectator 50 metres back. No one, however, had the legs to make a real difference, with the result that at Aprica it came down to playing for time again in a tight sprint. To understand more we will have to wait. Maybe tomorrow in Lavarone… but maybe not, and everything will be played out on the line in the Verona time trial. A tight contest: the first to give an inch loses the Giro d’Italia.