Giro d'Italia, a crash splits the race in Gorizia. Del Toro increasingly leader, Ciccone loses 16 minutes
What an earthquake at the Giro d'Italia! In a sprinter's stage that couldn't be flatter, which once would have been called a transfer stage (Nova Gorica-Gorizia, 195 km), everything happens. Almost a reversal, absolutely unexpected.
In the sense that due to a huge group crash, caused by the rain and the cobblestones in a narrowing of the road about 23 km from the finish line, the entire top of the standings is profoundly redrawn, favoring the pink jersey, the rampant Isaac Del Toro, the only one among the big names not to be involved in an accident that damaged, in addition to his teammate Ayuso, especially the Italian riders fighting for a place on the podium. We already had few in front, now it's even worse.
The most battered, arriving over 16 minutes late, is Giulio Ciccone from Abruzzo. Limping due to a hematoma on his right thigh, Ciccone was immediately taken for tests. Assuming he doesn't retire, the Abruzzese is still out of the fight at the top.
Another of our big names, Antonio Tiberi, also in pain, managed to partially contain the gap but slipped to eighth place, three minutes behind the pink jersey, still in command of a race in which he should have supported his captain, Juan Ajuso, now third, a minute and a half behind and also overtaken by the Englishman Simone Yates, one of the few of Del Toro's opponents to have taken advantage of a day that will have more impact than a mountain stage.
Having said that the stage victory went to the Danish Kasper Asgreen, author of a winning breakaway 4 km from the finish (second victory in this Giro), after this upheaval now all the plans for the podium must be reviewed and probably modified.
The starting point is the new consolidation of the pink jersey, very skilled in avoiding the fall that penalized his rivals. This is also a merit. And he deserves recognition. The boy knows what he's doing and above all he gives the impression of being the smartest of the competition.
And now? What will happen, on the eve of the mountains, in the internal balances of the Uae Emirates? Ayuso, who would be the captain, is now in even more difficulty. On the eve the leader should have been him, a great talent in rapid growth. Now everything can change.
“We will make our assessments..” specified the sports director of the Uae, Fernandez Matxin. A cryptic phrase that lets us understand what we need to understand: that is, that the hierarchies, in the course of the work, could change. The Mexican, although young (21 years old) and less experienced than Ayuso, is riding an exceptional Giro continuing, stage after stage, to accumulate an advantage.
Lucid and quick, he never misses an opportunity to consolidate his leadership. It is true that the Giro is still long, and the most difficult climbs (Mortirolo and Colle delle Finestre) are still to be tackled...
But at the moment, the most brilliant is the pink jersey. Primoz Roglic himself, the big favorite on the eve, is fifth at about two and a half minutes. He may be an old fox, but so far he has only shone in the time trial. More enterprising, the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, fourth at 2'07”, author of a nice stage win in Castel ne' Monti, and certainly one to keep an eye on in the toughest stages.
Among the big names, we will also have to see the Colombian Egan Bernal, very far from the top with a gap of over 3 and a half minutes.
In short, at the moment everything is going in favor of the pink jersey, which however, wisely, scales down its merits. “In these stages you need to be lucky above all,” he observes with the air of someone who has escaped a serious danger.
The truth is that cycling, especially in this Giro d'Italia, is changing. It seems that episodes are more decisive. Especially in these stages that should be banal, and instead become traps even for the masters of the classification, perhaps less protected than in the past by their teams.
You have to be lucky, says the pink jersey. Well... You definitely have to be on your toes. And be good. Very good. Once upon a time, the ambushes were made by the opponents. Now it's the rain or a road that's too narrow.
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