2 weeks ago
Australian men’s cycling appears to beryllium successful rude wellness pinch 4 riders sitting successful nan Top 10 wide astatine a expansive circuit for nan first time. Chris Harper climbed into 10th spot connected wide classification (GC) astatine nan halfway people of nan Giro d’Italia erstwhile crossing nan statement fourth connected shape 11 to Chiavari, alongside compatriots Ben O’Connor (fifth), Jai Hindley (sixth) and Michael Storer (seventh). Australia has ne'er had much than 2 riders decorativeness a men’s expansive circuit successful nan GC Top 10 , pinch O’Connor and Storer nan astir caller brace of precocious finishers astatine nan 2024 Giro.
Three-time expansive circuit victor Jonas Vingegaard is wrong striking region of nan maglia rosa astatine 27 seconds down leader Afonso Eulálio, and looks nan rider to hit pinch 10 stages to travel earlier nan title finishes successful Rome. While nan Australian quartet would request everything to spell correct for 1 of them to decorativeness connected nan apical measurement up of Vingegaard – and moreover Portuguese astonishment packet Eulálio – a spot connected nan podium remains wrong scope for O’Connor, Storer and 2022 maglia rosa victor Hindley.
Australian riders person rediscovered their awesome affection for nan Giro aft a post-Covid slump pinch 14 riders connected nan commencement statement past twelvemonth and 12 this time. The 4 now successful nan wide Top 10 are breaking caller crushed aft overmuch of nan pre-race spotlight was connected sprinter Kaden Groves and Tour Down Under victor Jay Vine earlier some were forced to wantonness owed to injuries sustained successful dense crashes.
The Western Australian trio are wrong 40 seconds of each different pinch O’Connor nan champion placed astatine 2min48s down Eulálio. The 30-year-old is 51s down connected third-placed Thymen Arensman arsenic he chases a 2nd expansive circuit podium aft finishing runner-up successful nan Vuelta a España past year. O’Connor arrived astatine nan Giro commencement statement successful Bulgaria pinch a tally of unconvincing results down him but has proved successful nan past he is astatine his champion erstwhile flying nether nan radar astatine expansive tours. The Jayco AlUla leader was 4th wide astatine nan 2024 Giro and also vanished 1 spot disconnected nan podium erstwhile he announced himself arsenic a early GC contender successful his Tour de France debut successful 2021.
Former Giro victor Hindley arrived astatine this year’s title pinch doubts complete his domiciled wrong nan Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe squad alongside location dream Giulio Pellizzari. The Australian has looked nan stronger connected nan roadworthy and sits 30s up of nan emerging Italian, arsenic he remains successful contention for a podium – aliases possibly overmuch much – astatine 3min 6s down Eulálio. Hindley and Pellizzari person stayed successful touch pinch nan leaders moreover arsenic they person suffered from abstracted illnesses, and some should admit a comparatively level shape 12 that runs from Imperia to Novi Ligure and should favour nan sprinters.
Storer is retired to amended connected his 10th-placed wide finishes astatine nan past 2 Giros. The 29-year-old arrived astatine past year’s expansive circuit successful a rich | vein of shape aft wide triumph astatine nan Tour of nan Alps and pinch high hopes of contending for nan podium successful Italy. He coiled backmost his mentation astatine nan aforesaid shape title successful nan Alps erstwhile 4th down victor Pellizzari past month, pinch nan purpose to amended clip his tally for nan first expansive circuit of nan season. Storer knows what it takes to decorativeness connected a expansive circuit podium aft claiming nan king of nan mountains jersey astatine nan Vuelta successful 2021. And location person been signs that nan climber whitethorn go conscionable nan 2nd Australian aft Matthew Lloyd successful 2010 to caput location pinch a maglia azzurra.
Harper, meanwhile, was portion of a breakaway group of 5 riders erstwhile this year’s 195km shape 11 reached nan last climb, and will beryllium aiming to adhd to his breakthrough triumph astatine nan Giro past year. The Melburnian was incapable to clasp a instrumentality arsenic eventual shape victor Jhonatan Narváez and Enric Mas pulled away. But Harper was fixed capable statement by nan main GC riders to claw backmost 3min 13s connected nan leaders and leap into nan Top 10. The 31-year-old is 4min 09s down Eulálio arsenic his attraction is connected hunting stages alternatively than nan highest imaginable wide finish
The GC contenders will bask immoderate respite complete nan adjacent 2 stages pinch breakaways and opportunists expected to beryllium astir suited to nan rolling terrain and punchy climbs, earlier nan Giro heads backmost into nan precocious mountains for a 16.5km acme decorativeness astatine Pila connected Saturday. Vingegaard could return a stranglehold connected nan maglia rosa that time connected his quest to complete nan group of expansive circuit crowns. But moreover if nan Dane takes power of nan race, nan 4 Australians tin support flying nan emblem pinch hopes for a podium finish, aliases possibly moreover a grander prize if nan way to nan apical measurement opens up
Giro d’Italia wide classification Top 10 (after shape 11)
1. Afonso Eulálio (Portugal): 44h 17m 41s
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark, Team Visma): +27s
3. Thymen Arensman (the Netherlands): +1m 57s
4. Felix Gall (Austria): +2m 24s
5. Ben O’Connor (Australia): +2m 48s
6. Jai Hindley (Australia): +3m 06s
7. Michael Storer (Australia): +3m 28s
8. Derek Gee (Canada): +3m 34s
9. Giulio Pellizzari (Italy): +3m 36s
10. Chris Harper (Australia): +4m 09s
