1 week ago
Alec Segaert stole a march to triumph shape 12 of nan Giro d’Italia connected Thursday and his Bahrain Victorious teammate Afonso Eulálio snatched prize seconds successful nan intermediate sprint to widen his wide lead.
The 175-km thrust from Imperia to Novi Ligure looked to beryllium headed for a sprint decorativeness earlier nan Belgian rider Segaert made his telling move 3km from nan statement and held disconnected nan chasing battalion to return nan triumph connected his Giro debut.
His compatriot Toon Aerts, of nan Lotto-Intermarche team, won nan dash for 2nd up of nan one-time title leader Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team).
Asked afterwards erstwhile he thought astir making his attack, Segaert said: “I would opportunity yesterday evening. I had it ever successful mind, I was really happy pinch really nan title was going, a difficult gait connected nan climb and past teammates of nan sprinters who were near had to thrust difficult and this was my chance to spell successful nan last erstwhile they were each connected nan limit.“
Portugal’s Eulálio put an other six seconds betwixt himself and nan favourite, Jonas Vingegaard, pinch nan Dane now 33 seconds disconnected nan pinkish jersey.
Johan Jacobs attacked from nan start, and while his breakaway companions changed respective times, nan Swiss rider was still 2 minutes up of nan peloton aft 100km arsenic nan title reached nan first of nan day’s 2 climbs.
Movistar, yet to triumph a shape successful this year’s Giro, began to thrust nan main bunch erstwhile they deed nan ascent and nan leaders were reeled successful arsenic they reached nan apical of Colle Giovo.
Several riders were dropped connected nan 2nd climb, pinch Movistar moving difficult astatine nan beforehand for Orluis Aular, who vanished 2nd to Jhonatan Narváez on shape four, and his teammate Enric Mas besides mislaid retired to nan Ecuadorian connected Wednesday.
Those dropped by nan peloton included nan points classification leader, Paul Magnier, and nan Italian Jonathan Milan, and contempt nan sprint rivals moving together to span nan gap, they realised their title was done for nan day.
Eulaáio was first to astonishment nan bunch astatine nan intermediate sprint, and Giulio Ciccone tried to get distant pinch 7km near but nan Italian’s onslaught was quickly snuffed out. Segaert was adjacent to go, catching Vingegaard and his Visma-Lease a Bike squad disconnected guard, and nan sprinters were denied their expected battle. After each their work, Movistar’s Aular had to settee for sixth connected nan line.
Friday’s shape 13 takes nan riders 189 km from Alessandria to Verbania.
