Giro d’Italia, Jhonatan Narvaez first pink jersey, but Tadej Pogacar already puts on a show
Giro d'Italia, Jhonatan Narvaez first pink jersey, but Tadej Pogacar dà already show
È Ecuadorian the first pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia 2024. Jhonatan Narvaez won the first stage of the 107ª edition of the pink race, 140 km from Venaria Ralea Turin, beating in a sprint German Maximilian Schachmann and Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, the big favorite of the race.
In the very early stages of the race six riders went into the breakaway: Fiorelli (Bardiani), Barré (Arkea), Debeaumarché (Cofidis), Calmejane (Intermarché), Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl) and Pietrobon (Polti-Kometa). Fiorelli transited in the lead at the first Gran Premio della Montagna, Berzano San Pietro, and then also at the flying finish in Moriondo Torinese.
The second climb of the day è the Colle di Superga, over which they will transità on the 75° anniversary of the Grande Torino tragedy. Ghebreigzabhier transits alone, then in the descent Fiorelli, Pietrobon and Calmejane come back on him and the four arrive to have a little more than 3 minutes’ lead over the group of ranking men.
Shortly afterwards Ghebreigzabhier and Calmejane stretch out, the latter passing first at the’Intergiro di Corso Moncalieri, a short distance from the first crossing of the finish line, then on the San Vito climb the’Eritrean detaches his breakaway companion, who però recovers him on the descent, and the two on the first pass over the finish line have 1’47” on the group that, pulled by Pogacar’s UAE Emirates, has caught all the other escapees.
The’last to resist è Calmejane ch managed to pass in the lead with a few seconds on the group at the top of the’last Gpm, the Colle della Maddalena, 21.9 km from the’finish, while losing contact on the climb one of the outsiders, Romain Bardet. Bora-Hansgrohe takes over from UAE at the front of the peloton but Calmejane increases its lead on the descent.
The Frenchman was then caught at the minus 9.6 km to the finish by a small group led by Damiano Caruso, who won the flying finish with bonuses by gaining 3 seconds just before the second climb of San Vito, the small group, in addition to Caruso, by Conci, Pellizzari, De Marchi, Schachmann, Baudin and Honoré.
Nicola Conci sprints and è him to face alone in the lead on the climb with 20 seconds on the pursuers and even 45 on the group but Pogacar immediately engages the turbo, in two sprints è on Conci on the terrible ramps of the climb and on the third only Narvaez resists him and transits with him on the summit at 3.9 km from the’arrival, then on the descent Schachmann rejoins him.
At the finish line è Narvaez to beat Schachmann and Pogacar in a sprint, who with third place also gains 4” of bonus against the 12” and 8” of his breakaway companions, and also gains an additional ten seconds on the other ranking men.
For Narvaez è his second stage win at the Giro d’Italia after the one in Cesenatico in 2020. Tomorrow thereè already; an uphill finish, at the Sanctuary of Oropa, scene 25 years ago of the most beautiful victory of Marco Pantani’s career.
