Alberto Dainese (DSM) won the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia in an expected bunch sprint finish in Caorle. The maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) was second with Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) third.
A lack of both rain and uphill kilometres (in fact, today was a net downhill day) provided a welcome change for the riders, who took the opportunity to produce a ‘normal’, uneventful flat stage. Riders were allowed up the road and then slowly brought back before a sprint finish.
- A four rider move went up the road for some television time: Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Senne Leysen (whose dad Bart was behind his team car’s wheel as a sports director), Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Diego Pablo Sevilla (EOLO-Kometa) and Charlie Quarterman (Corratec-Selle Italia).
- Three of the four were brought back with 20 km remaining, while Leysen lasted until 5 km to go.
- Michael Matthews opened up his sprint with around 300 m to the finish, hitting the front and begging the line to come toward him quicker. Alberto Dainese made up a reasonable gap to jump into Matthews’ slipstream, with Milan then tucked in behind him.
- Dainese picked his moment and came around Matthews to nab the win. Meanwhile, Milan stayed on his own line, not benefitting from any slipstream, and nearly overhauled Dainese with a hugely powerful surge. The silver lining of Milan’s second place is an increase of his lead in the points classification.
Brief Results:
- Alberto Dainese (DSM)
- Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious), s.t.
- Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla)
- Niccolò Bonifazio (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty)
- Simone Consonni (Cofidis), all at s.t.
GC:
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers)
- João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) @ :18
- Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) @ :29
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) @ 2:50
- Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) @ 3:03
Landscape appreciation moment
Analysis
- We heard reports from Adam Blythe on the GCN+ television motorbike that Jonathan Milan didn’t let Michael Matthews up the road at the start of the day. Milan supposedly explained to the Australian that he didn’t want someone of Matthews’ prestige potentially sneaking up on him in the points classification. But with a 108-point lead over the Jayco-AlUla rider, was this just petty overkill?
- Following his announcement that he will retire at the end of the season, many eyes were on Mark Cavendish to take home a statement victory ahead of his final Tour de France this summer. However, something happened to the British sprinter during the run-in, quickly dropping a number of places and not featuring in the sprint, ending up 19th on the stage. After the finish line, he could be spotted remonstrating with a Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè rider, who presumably Cavendish felt wronged him in some way. Wonder what happened there.
- It was a quiet day for the GC riders, who will be very grateful for it ahead of three final hectic uphill days to decide who rides into Rome with the maglia rosa.
Next Stage:
The first of two final (don’t say penultimate) mountain road stages sees the peloton set off from Oderzo and within 30 km begin tackling the first category Passo della Crosetta. A fourth category climb follows soon after before 50 km of gradual uphill until the next climb to Forcella Cibiana, another first category ascent. The the finale: the second category climb to Coi, 5.5 km long at 9.5 percent, before the final 2.3 km, 6.9 per cent kick to the finish line at Palafavera. Get ready for some more GC action: will Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) have found his legs after Tuesday’s stage 16? Will João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) test the pink jersey Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers)?
Stat of the day:
Courtesy of ProCyclingStats, American rider Larry Warbasse (Ag2r Citroën) has now raced over 25,000 Grand Tour kilometres over 156 stages at 9 three-week races, which is equal to 0.62 times around the world.
Reactions:
A non-verbal description of the majority of stage 17
Here’s your hometown hero of the day
Please take a moment to join us in simply appreciating Primož Roglič
Links/Reading:
- We didn’t talk enough about Bruno, which Iain Treloar has remedied.
- ICYMI: Netflix cameras will be back at the 2023 Tour. So the first season is good, right?
- Supplementary reading: A cult figure, his unlikely Giro victory, and the annual meme-fest they inspired.
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