Three years after the frustration of losing the Tour in the last time trial against his compatriot Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) sentenced the Giro d’Italia this Saturday, May 27, 2023 by winning the twentieth stage, an individual time trial between Tarvisio and Monte Lussari, 18.6 km, in which he unseated the British Geraint Thomas from the pink jersey.
Roglic (Trbovlje, 33 years old) knew the glory that eluded him in that damn Lure time trial that glorified Pogacar. This time he won the pink jersey and his fourth big one, after three Vueltas, winning a beastly time with enormous superiority against his direct rivals, Thomas and the Portuguese Joao Almeida.
Roglic, intratable
In the duel to three there was no color. Roglic was enormous and beat Thomas in 40 seconds, powerless against the strength of the Slovenian, and Almeida in 42. The virtual winner of the Giro marked a time of 44.34, at an average of 25.145 km/h, an exhibition shared with many compatriots who, due to their proximity to their country, went to the ditches to acclaim the idol.
Roglic will arrive as emperor of Rome this Sunday. The last day in royal dispute served the king of the Vuelta to put on the pink jersey. He will get on the podium with a final gap of 14 seconds over Thomas and 1.13 over Almeida.
ATYPICAL CHRONO, FIGHT WITHOUT QUARTER BETWEEN ROGLIC AND THOMAS
Atypical timing for its route, exaggerated percentages and peculiarities in its 7.4 km at 11.8 percent, including ramps 12 and 15, and a steep slope in the middle of 22 to reach an altitude of 1,774 meters. A timed test divided into three separate heats with 50-minute intervals, while the favorites started every 3 minutes.
All different. Until the beginning of the climb, the riders used the “goat” against the clock, then for the brutal climb they switched to the conventional bike and just in case there was a huge carnage, the organization increased the out-of-control time by 50 percent . Soudal Quick Step skipper, veteran Patrick Lefevere, called the stage a “farce”.
Not all of them took the time trial seriously, some climbed sections doing the “wheelie” on the bike, others were making eses due to the extreme difficulty of the ramps. Already in competition, the first significant time was set by the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma), Roglic’s best gregarious, with a time of 45.28 minutes, at an average of 24.5 km/h.
The Frenchman Pinot arrived, gestures included, to take the lead with 45.22. At that time, news arrived that Roglic was breaking all the records at the intermediate points. Thomas was losing 16 seconds to Roglic, handicapped by a mechanical problem that forced him to land, losing over 10 seconds in the mishap.
Roglic marched forward and Thomas barely resisted. As they approached the finish line, the Italian Damian Caruso slipped into the party for the stage, with 45.18 in first place, but for a short time, as the Slovenian arrived launched with 44.23, at an average of 25.145 km/h. Big words.
Only Geraint Thomas remained to arrive, punished by a brutal climb. The Briton, not as good a climber as Roglic, paid for the effort, resisted well, but could not answer the great time set by his rival. On the last day of competition, and in time trial, this time he smiled at that rider who lost the Tour in 2020 to Pogacar due to the cruelty of a time trial. The story backwards.
This Sunday the Giro d’Italia ends with the dispute of the twenty-first and last stage, starting and finishing in Rome and a route of 126 km. EFE