Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have defended Giulio Pellizzari’s decision to try and follow Jonas Vingegaard atop the Blockhaus at the Giro d’Italia, with DS Christian Pömer saying that if he had been ordered to simply ride his own tempo on stage 7, it could “have been a moment he would regret his entire life”.
With a punchy day to Fermo ending without the GC fireworks that were perhaps expected over a Muri stage, Pellizzari now sits sixth overall, one spot behind teammate and co-leader Jai Hindley, ahead of the final stage of the first week, and the next mountaintop finish on stage 9 to Corno alle Scale.
“I think it’s actually the characteristics of those two guys. I mean, Jai is a little bit older, and maybe also a bit wiser than Giulio,” Pömer told Cyclingnews before stage 8, explaining how the team debriefed after Blockhaus.
Pömer caveated that surpassing Decathlon CMA CGM’s Felix Gall would be no easy feat in the coming weeks and days, especially after the uphill showing he put out to finish second on Blockhaus, 13 seconds behind Vingegaard. He has a lead of just under a minute over Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana), now in fourth after stage 8, and Red Bull’s leaders.
“It’s…
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