Featured image courtesy of Tim de Waele/Getty Images
Two weeks of the Giro d’Italia have now passed, the race entering the high mountains in its third and final week. Most of the sprinters have gone home despite one flattish day to come, but with the final Milan time trial and more Dolomite climbs, one Colombian is looking shoulders above the rest. Throughout this Giro, the INEOS Grenadiers have yet to show any weakness, Egan Bernal looks set to ride a full three week Grand Tour without showing any cracks.
Four key stages remain and after taking on the brutal slopes of Monte Zoncolan and taking on a revised Stage 16 over the Passo Giau as the race’s Cima Coppi (highest point of the Giro), what more can Bernal’s rivals do to stop him? The Zoncolan gave a real indication as to who was feeling the best and who was unlikely to challenge for pink. As the Dolomites have hit hard some have even provided welcome surprises.
The 104th Giro d’Italia is not over but at the moment it is really hard to see anyone wrestling the maglia rosa off Egan Bernal’s shoulders.
Does Bernal have it in the bag?
No rider rests easy but it is understandable why you might question whether Egan Bernal can actually take it a little bit easy now. He does not have this Giro in the bag just yet and with three huge mountain stages remaining plus the time trial on Stage 21, Bernal has a two minute 24 second advantage over Bahrain-Victorious rider Damiano Caruso but most importantly for the Colombian he has a significant time advantage over those who can put in a decent time trial. No disrespect to Caruso in second, Hugh Carthy in third and others such as Aleksandr Vlasov, Simon Yates and Romain Bardet – they are not names that can claw back significant amounts of minutes on a time trial bike.
The closest pair of riders who can time trial better than Bernal are Jumbo-Visma’s Tobias Foss, who almost won the opening TT in Turin, and in Quick-Step’s João Almeida, he is also a very good specialist against the clock. Both riders are over eight minutes behind Bernal so have no chance in clawing back the pink jersey.
Bernal’s rivals can only attack INEOS as much as they can. Putting as much pressure on them as possible is what they must do and who knows Bernal may yet suffer just one day on a big mountain test. Crashes aren’t out of the picture, a mechanical problem can create problems but most importantly significant bad luck is the only thing that can realistically stop Egan Bernal from winning his first Giro and second career Grand Tour.
So how has Egan Bernal got it right so far? The team he has is for starters a real asset. Despite losing key domestique Pavel Sivakov on Stage 5, the likes of Dani Martínez and Jhonatan Narváez have stepped up at this Giro, Martínez himself also inside the GC’s top ten. Italian and world champion time trial sensation Filippo Ganna has been prepared to do the work, and it would not be a surprise to see him secure another stage win in Milan come Sunday. These are just some of the names but across the three weeks the time have INEOSED this Giro. They have found a way to win and they are almost there.
Bernal individually has excelled. He started the TT in good shape, gradually climbed back the 30 odd seconds he lost to others and on Stage 9’s gravel climb up to Campo Felice, the stage win as a significant pointer that the Colombian’s recent back injury is now a thing of the past…maybe?
Vincenzo Nibali’s fast descent on Stage 12 did put some pressure on the INEOS train that did lead to Gianni Moscon hitting the deck. Putting the pressure on the team is the only thing their rivals can do now but dominant displays in the Apennines, atop the Zoncolan and now a second stage win at Cortina D’Ampezzo – Egan Bernal looks unstoppable.
Remco’s woes and Bardet’s comeback
Even those that can realistically challenge Egan Bernal iron grip of the maglia rosa are suffering big time! On Monte Zoncolan, Simon Yates went on the attack to show exactly what he has been holding back. His experience from losing the pink jersey in 2018 seems to be playing out well but on Stage 16 he suffered from the cold and the wet. Grim conditions at this Giro has not helped the riders, it won’t be an excuse, but in Simon Yates he will be left disappointed to lose over two minutes to Bernal – from in high second place post Zoncolan to now fifth overall going into week three. The next best thing Yates can go for is the podium but one crack by Bernal will give others huge amounts of confidence.
After losing Mikel Landa to a horror crash in week one. Bahrain-Victorious have had a rotten Giro. Yes Gino Mäder has won a stage win but also losing Matej Mohorič to another unfortunate crash – it has been an unlucky race for the team. Losing your team leader is not ideal but it can actually give some added freedom to others including current second place rider Damiano Caruso. Over the years the Italian has been the wing-man, the key domestique for the likes of Landa, Vincenzo Nibali and Richie Porte, now he could yet finish on the podium. If Caruso does finish high at this Giro d’Italia it will become his fourth top-ten on a Grand Tour GC.
A podium spot may not be out of the question too for Frenchman Romain Bardet. Just like Bahrain-Victorious, Team DSM have lost riders at this Giro including last year’s runner-up Jai Hindley. For Bardet though it is a welcome sight to see him riding high on the GC and maybe just maybe a stage win. Deciding to skip the Tour de France and dim the spotlight that would’ve been on him, has proved to be a good choice. Getting a stage victory and moving up further on GC will now be Bardet’s aim.
British rider Hugh Carthy has had a quiet Giro so far but in recent days EF Education Nippo have shown their colours to the rest. Full commitment to the cause is imperative and they are showing signs of collective strength. Carthy did finish on the podium at the Vuelta last year, another Grand Tour podium looks likely once again.
The same cannot be said for Remco Evenepoel, the rider on everyone’s lips going into this Giro and is now right down to 19th on GC. Where has it gone wrong? Stage 9 to Campo Felice wasn’t a full disaster but Stage 11 on the gravel roads of Tuscany and then the Monte Zoncolan on Stage 14 has put any chances of a remarkable Grand Tour victory on the back burner. Questions remain as to what the gameplan has been for Quick-Step at this Giro. They’ve decided to go all out for a GC challenge and now their best bet for success is a stage victory in week three.
Evenepoel’s time trialling ability would have been a threat to Egan Bernal’s pink jersey but to see the Belgian fall away as a fellow youngster has definitely demolished Evenepoel’s chances. Bringing him into this Giro was always going to create questions but so far the criticism of the young man has been very harsh. No Grand Tour experience and lack of racing in the legs was always going to be a risk but it will be valued experience for Remco Evenepoel. There is no point in asking too much from him now. Many years are still to come and for now Remco Evenepoel (below) will learn from these experiences.
It was also sad to see Emanuel Buchmann having to abandon the Giro due to a crash on Stage 15. The German was sixth overall the day before and was looking good to possibly move towards a podium place.
The triumph of the breakaway
Going into the break has been a blessing at this Giro. 16 stages ridden so far and half of them have gone to the breakaway. Taco van der Hoorn’s stage 3 victory is definitely going to be a highlight and for team without the biggest of budgets this Giro d’Italia has been a welcome Grand Tour of success.
Stage 14 saw the riders literally at the gates of hell – Monte Zoncolan featuring some hellish maximum gradients at 27%. It doesn’t come around often but to see a pro-continental team take the stage win does wonders for lesser known teams. Team EOLO-Kometa winning a stage has made their Giro – Lorenzo Fortunato the man who deserved all the plaudits. 25-years-of-age, Fortunato now has his first professional career win. Taking a glorious win on one of the biggest mountains in world cycling, you could not have asked for a bigger stage to announce yourself.
EOLO-Kometa’s aim to win a stage should also see a promise kept. Seven times Grand Tour champion Alberto Contador runs the team and did promise to ride from Madrid to Milan, more than 1,600 km if his team won a stage. Bertie needs to saddle up and get on his bike!
So far the pro-continental teams have performed well at this Giro. Both EOLO-Kometa and Alpecin-Fenix have thoroughly deserved their place at this Giro, they will for sure be invited back next year. Breakaways have triumphed uncharacteristically early and consistent for a Giro d’Italia.
A Giro to remember for Team Qhubeka-ASSOS
As last year’s Giro d’Italia drew to a close, riders for Team NTT were still wondering where the sponorship would come for 2021. Australian Ben O’Connor took a much-needed stage win for the team. Funding for this season has been secured in ASSOS and the Qhubeka charity that helps people in South Africa get on bikes.
So far at this Giro, the team have taken three stage wins including Mauro Schmid’s first professional win, Giacomo Nizzolo finally getting a sprint victory at a Grand Tour, and now Victor Campenaerts also gets his first stage win at a Grand Tour, just his second on a road bike. For the Belgian himself he has always been known as a time trialling specialist, but after so many misses against better TT riders, Campenaerts turning his attention to the road bike more has been a blessing.
Leading the time trial discipline for Belgium in the past couple of years, it is fair to say that both Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel have taken over the reigns and yet Victor Campenaerts has still found a way to make the most of a new direction. He is the world hour record holder but most importantly he can now consider himself a decent road racer getting into breaks and having a go.
Fighting for their future as a team has probably been an added motivatin for Team Qhubeka-ASSOS riders at this Giro. They will still need a sponsor for 2022 but at this Giro d’Italia the team have certainly made their legs do the talking. One stage win can do a lot for a team without the big money to spend it large, to take three is perhaps better than their own expectations.
Could the team win a fourth stage? Not out of the question by any means.
Future Grand Tour starts in Slovenia?
Stage 15 featured a hilly parcours that included an in-out venture into neighbouring Slovenia, a country that is now a cycling mad country. The likes of Primož Roglič winning two Vuelta’s and Tadej Pogačar winning the Tour de France at a very young age last year has put Slovenia on the map. They are the new cycling force and in others such as Bahrain-Victorious pair Jan Tratnik and Matej Mohorič who have both won stages at the Giro, you have numerous Slovenian names who are giving everything to the race.
Hungarian rider Attila Valter has already worn the pink jersey at this Giro, which will be seen by Hungarian fans as a huge moment before Budapest plays host to the Giro next year. Wearing a leader’s jersey and winning Grand Tours can do wonders for a country because they clearly have the cycling talent to allow more sporting prestige to enter their midst.
Seeing Slovenian flags waving on the roadside in atrocious conditions was a joy. There is no doubt that the country will be hosting a Grande Partenza of the Giro not just because of its geographical bonus but just for the sheer cycling talent Slovenia has. The Tour and Vuelta have gone further with their Grand Départ’s and Grand Salida’s so Slovenia will be on their list sometime soon.
Week three of the Giro has finally arrived. The 104th edition is nearing its conclusion. One Colombian is very close now to sealing his first pink jersey and adding to his 2019 Tour de France title. Can anyone challenge Egan Bernal? Five stages remain in the fight for the maglia rosa.
