Giro d’Italia Stage 2: Pink Pogs Right On Schedule

UAE Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar was always the heavy favorite to win the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The biggest question was whether he could pass up any of the early opportunities to assert his dominance. And so far, the answer is a resounding “no.” In classic, predictably aggressive fashion, Pogačar seized the first major finishing climb of the race, the ascent to Santuario Oropa in the Alpine foothills north of Torino, to win stage 2 of the Giro and take his first maglia rosa.

Pogačar overcame a brief slip on a flat front tire just as the final climb was set to begin, where his wheel gave out and put him briefly on the ground. But it was clear he was unbothered to any significant extent, and the Slovene popped straight up to grab a new bike and charge back up to regain his presence at the head of the peloton. From there, UAE riders upped the pace and dispatched all but Pogačar’s closest competition, only for Pogačar himself to take the front with some 4km remaining and accelerate away for the solo win.

Dani Martinez of BORA led home the chase ahead of former INEOS teammate Geraint Thomas, 27 seconds later, with a handful of GC hopefuls alongside or a few seconds back. Lilian Calmejane surrendered the climbers’ jersey to Pogačar, to be borrowed by Martinez, and Visma’s Cian Uitdebroeks finished with the contenders to take the maglia bianca off Alex Baudin, who was more than a minute back.

Stage:

1. POGAČAR Tadej, UAE Team Emirates, 3:54:20
2. MARTÍNEZ Daniel Felipe, BORA – hansgrohe, 0:27
3. THOMAS Geraint, INEOS Grenadiers, s.t.
4. FORTUNATO Lorenzo, Astana Qazaqstan Team, s.t.
5. LIPOWITZ Florian, BORA – hansgrohe
6. STORER Michael, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, 0:30
7. UIJTDEBROEKS Cian, Team Visma, s.t.
8. RUBIO Einer, Movistar Team
9. LÓPEZ Juan Pedro, Lidl – Trek, 0:35
10. HIRT Jan, Soudal Quick-Step, 0:37

GC

1. POGAČAR Tadej, UAE Team Emirates, 7:08:29
2. THOMAS Geraint, INEOS Grenadiers, 0:45
3. MARTÍNEZ Daniel Felipe, BORA – hansgrohe, s.t.
4. UIJTDEBROEKS Cian, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, 0:54
5. RUBIO Einer, Movistar Team, s.t.

San Francesco al Campo – Santuario di Oropa 161 km

Big climbing on stage 2, Grand Tours are getting more and more evil.

Estimated finish time: 17:00-17:25 CEST

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