Refresh
Thanks for joining us, for a day that will live long in the memory of Julian Alaphilippe. It’s been a long time since he tasted success at this level, and he did so with the kind of panache and excitement we’ve come to associate him with. Come back again tomorrow as the second week of the Giro continues.
Here’s our full report of what happened today. It was relentless and action-packed, fully living up to the billing, even if there was no GC action.
TOP 10
For context, he and Maestri first broke out of the breakaway group 126km from the finish. At the time it seemed like an innocuous moment, and certainly not one that would be the race-winning move – but that was exactly what it proved to be.
We weren’t sure we’d ever see Alaphilippe at his very best again, with three long years having past since his last victory at Grand Tour level. But this proves their’s life in his yet, and that he may finally have overcome his many fitness problems.
Two UAE Team Emirates riders lead the pink jersey over the line. It’s a small peloton, only about 20 or so riders strong, but seems to have all of the GC men there.
The peloton is in the final kilometre now, taking it very easy. Hirt and the other riders who had posed a threat to GC were brought back much earlier.
Even by the standards of him at his very best, that must rank among one of Alaphilippe’s best Grand Tour vitories. To go from that far out, at a time when it felt like a suicide move, to then stay out that long and retain so much energy for the final steep climbs, was really something.
Valgren and Scaroni roll in together for fourth and fifth respectively.
Narváez takes second ahead of him.
Now Hermans and Narváez are readying themselves for the sprint.
What a ride by the Frenchman. He’s…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…