VERONA. Let’s put it this way. In Verona Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka) breaks the ice at the Giro and pulls the sprint at the Zoncolan, today the first true final judge of the Giro 104.
The 32-year-old from Milan, European champion, had a long unfinished business with the pink race. Stages removed (the last one in the 2016 Giro), second places in the series, again this year, so much so that he said in no uncertain terms yesterday at the departure from Ravenna: «I’m running for second place».
No sooner said than done. He won, with merit, because he was the bravest to understand that Edoardo Affini (Jumbo), visiting relatives in his Mantua 30 km earlier, with that shot shortly after the last km was about to blow the bank. Nizzolo came out in the open, won, overcoming Affini, the cyclamen jersey Peter Sagan (Bora) and the always placed Davide Cimolai (Israel), fourth. Out of the games the most awaited, Elia Viviani (Cofidis) who in his Verona aimed to celebrate his nomination as Olympic standard-bearer.
Alexander Vlasov (Astana) in maglia bianca
“I had the goal of being able to make the sprint, I’m very happy, finally the first victory has arrived,” said Nizzolo.
How beautiful Italy is, yesterday was seen once again by the runners who left, in the name of the Supreme Poet, from the Mosaics of Ravenna, passed through the Palaces of Mantua, and arrived in the city of the Arena. In short, for the big names, the calm before the storm.
In all senses. Because the weather for Saturday in Carnia on the Zoncolan does not bode well. The runners, when after the first ten kilometers, affordable but not too much, they find snow, never so much fallen in recent years, they will have to overcome themselves.
Three crazy kilometers, peaks at 22%, a stairway to heaven that the Giro tested, for the first and only time before moving to hell on the other side, 18 years ago with Gilberto Simoni’s pink solo and the last Marco Pantani’s career leap.
“Gibo”, who then won the Giro, was in the squad and had a few seconds ahead of Stefano Garzelli: up there he put his shirt in the safe.
Will the Colombian Egan Bernal do the same today? Ineos ds Matteo Tosatto, a career as a gregarious and luxury, was in the group that day in 2003 and before the Giro he sent the Russian Pavel Sivakov to X-ray that climb, who left the scene early.
“We have” rested “let’s see, it will be a very hard stage, I don’t know the climb but it will be a battle, that’s for sure,” said the pink jersey.
First special observation: Alexander Vlasov (Astana), quietly quiet 45 ”from the Colombian. Beppe Martinelli, his ds, that day in 2003 was in the flagship behind Simoni. «I explained the climb to him, the favorite today is Bernal, we will defend ourselves, we hope that the weather will hold up». In no particular order then examination in sight for Simon Yates (Exchange), Giulio Ciccone and the old lion Vincenzo Nibali (Trek); and then the only Italian hope on the podium, Damiano Caruso (Bahrain), who dreams of moments of glory as a wingman.
It is the first real ascent of the Giro, the most awaited. It will do damage to those who ride. It will entertain the lucky 1,500 on the side of the road in that thrilling finale (the climb is limited due to Covid restrictions) and those at home, and sheltered from the rain, in front of the TV. In 2010, for Ivan Basso’s feat there were over four million, a record of the Giro still unbeaten. The side was that of Ovaro, but the slopes are not so different.
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