gonbike.com - News: "Intermarché Wanty Gobert Matériaux stage 2"

- Titolo: "Intermarché Wanty Gobert Matériaux stage 2"
- Tratta dal sito: http://www.gonbike.com
- Pubblicata: Monday 10 May 21 09:01
- Link alla notizia: http://www.gonbike.com/news/view.php?id=7835

R. Minali (15th) : "Frustrated I could not reward the team"

The second stage of this 104th Giro d'Italia (2.UWT) had everything sprinters would like: a flat course, a breakaway of three riders and a gap which, therefore, could be controlled without much effort. Albanese (Eolo), Marengo (Bardiani) and Tagliani (Androni) went at kilometer 0, at the foot of the Stupingi hunting lodge where the peloton started this Sunday. They became the first breakaway of the event.

In addition to the stage victory, the stake of the day was the identity of first the wearer of the blue jersey, which was to be awarded to the first rider to cross the summit of Montechiaro d'Asti (1.8 km to 5 %). The fourth category climb, located at the halfway point, was the only difficulty of the course. Once the hill was passed, Albanese dropped and rejoined the peloton. They were only two remaining at the front with nearly 80 kilometers to accomplish.

The weak gap of the fugitives began to melt away as the two intermediate sprints approached, included in the last 40 kilometers. The Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux team was at the front to position Andrea Pasqualon, who at 33 is the oldest rookie in this Giro. Launched by Quinten Hermans and Riccardo Minali, Pasqualon took fifth place in Tricerro's intermediate sprint, pocketing 4 points in the Maglia Ciclamino standings. Minali, eighth, also scored a point. This acceleration had definitively condemned the breakaway, which was caught at 26 kilometers from the finish, just before Vercelli's second sprint. Unlike the first, this intermediate sprint granted bonus seconds to the first three, and did not count for the points classification.

The last 20 kilometers were thus devoted to the preparation of the massive sprint. Minali, the man protected for the exercise, enjoyed the protection of his teammates, who took him to the front 3 kilometers from the finish. In the wheel of Pasqualon, Minali was in the top twenty places under the flamme rouge. A movement of the UAE train caused a break around the tenth position, dooming Minali's chances of contesting the leading roles. Nevertheless, the sprinter finished 15th in this stage won by Tim Merlier (Alpecin). Minali, Hermans (17th) and Pasqualon (22nd) allow Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux to finish first in the team's classification for the stage.

Riccardo Minali:
“We were perfectly placed at 2 km to go, but I made a positioning mistake under the tunnel. In the middle of the peloton, I was forced to brake in the last roundabout at 700 meters. Given the high speed at the head of the peloton, I was not able to fully participate in the sprint. I am frustrated and of course disappointed not to have been able to reward the work we had done, especially since I know I have the legs to at least get a top 10 today. Now that the line is crossed, I intend to learn from this mistake and seize the next sprint opportunities to deliver a result for the team and our supporters. "

The third stage of the Giro will take the riders from Biella to Canale, for a 190-kilometer crossing within the Piedmont region. Four climbs feature in the last 70 kilometers, enough to jeopardize the outcome of a massive sprint.

Stage 2 :
1. Tim Merlier
2. Giacomo Nizzolo
3. Elia Viviani
15. Riccardo Minali
17. Quinten Hermans
22. Andrea Pasqualon
85. Wesley Kreder
118. Taco van der Hoorn
129. Jan Hirt
136. Rein Taaramäe
138. Simone Petilli

Provisional GC :
1. Filippo Ganna
2. Edoardo Affini
3. Tobias Foss
84. Quinten Hermans +53
99. Rein Taaramäe +57
126. Andrea Pasqualon +1:07
130. Jan Hirt +1:09
139. Simone Petilli +1:13
152. Riccardo Minali +1:19
158. Taco van der Hoorn +1:24
160. Wesley Kreder +1:25

::Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux - Press Release::