Nibali is eighth 3 minutes from the squad. Something number can still do it. He has nothing to lose. From a national point of view, with a certain pride, it should be remembered that the fifth classified is Domenico Pozzovivo, the evergreen of the caravan. With almost 40 years and 23 screws scattered throughout the body to hold the various fractures together, the little man from Policoro continues to amaze.
We are on the edge of science fiction. What more do you want from life? A Lucanian said advertising. Well, here it is, our bitter-sweet Lucan holding high, together with Nibali, the tricolor flag at the Giro d’Italia.
So, in summary, this first screening of the classification said a few things: 1) That Carapaz is certainly the beacon of the race, but that he too has several weaknesses. Otherwise, in such a hard stage, he would have done the hell out of four. He didn’t succeed. So he’s not at the top. From him, however, he has the strongest team. And this is not an element to be underestimated. Especially in the last week.
2) Behind Carapaz is Jai Hindley, the Australian who won a stage in 2020 and finished second in the Giro. And one to keep an eye on, and it is demonstrated by the fact that when the road goes uphill, he is always there.
3) Another one to watch is Joao Almeida. The Portuguese does not shine, but he is always there in the group that matters to him. He is one who resists, a very calculating cross-country skier. He is about thirty seconds from the pink jersey. He can still have a say about him. We close with Juan Pedro Lopez. The Spaniard, practically without a team, lost the pink jersey with honor. He arrives tenth over four minutes from Carapaz without losing a thread of his serenity. He is young, he has character, and now that he is free from the responsibility of leadership, he can still stand out.