Castel di Sangro—Campo Felice (Rocca di Cambio), 158km
Another stunner on this Giro d’Italia. A breakaway of 17 riders went up the road for the day. It was another day of rain, yet also another day of lush green landscapes in the Southern Apennines of Italy. Multiple categorized and uncategorized climbs had been tackled by the time the race reached the 30km to go point. At this point of the stage both the breakaway and the peloton were climbing the 12.4km Ovindoli Category2 climb that averaged 5.1%. After this climb there would not be a proper descent, but instead rolling terrain until the final climb up to the summit finish. The summit finish would be up to Campo Felice, a Category1 6.6km climb averaging 6%, the last stretch comprised of a 1.6km long steep-pitching gravel ski-lift service road. Who would be the first summit this Campo Felice, someone from the breakaway or a star from the peloton?
The breakaway had been working well together and their advantage was 2:48 on the peloton. It was at this point that Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) like a Great Hunter, turned to his Grenadier lieutenants and traveling companions to talk strategy. All of the following quotes are of course fictional, but perhaps he said like an English lord on Boxing Day: “Alright, boys, I think we have given them enough of a head-start. Let us give chase. Let us go a’ hunting the breakaway for the remainder of this day. Saddle up your steeds. I have a mind to win my first Grand Tour stage on this fine Sunday and perhaps make a Pink wardrobe change—but tell that not to the other teams who I wish to join us on this hunt, for we shall try to enlist their help on the chase first.” The Ineos Grenadiers then moved to the front, and within 2km had already chopped the gap down by 40 seconds. Yes, yes, the Great Hunt for the breakaway was on.
As soon as the breakaway heard that the gap was tumbling, they too knew the Hunt was on. Then as all large breakaways do, attacks began. Were some antsy about their chances of staying away, and were now hot-headedly jumping the gun; or were some ready to cut the cord and find what deadweight was around to shed? Yes, UAE’s Diego Ulissi was involved. Jumbo’s Champion of New Zealand George Bennett pushed the pace. Team DSM’s Australian Michael Storer was elegantly following just about everything. EF Education-Nippo had both Ruben Guerreio and Simon Carr in the mix. Trek’s Bauke Mollema valiantly bridged to every move. And Cofidis’ Nicholas Edet, Bora’s Matteo Fabbro, AG2R’s Geoffrey Bouchard, and Jumbo’s Koen Bouwman were all still mixing it up on that Ovindoli climb. But over the top of the climb, EF’s Simon Carr and AG2R’s Geoffrey Bouchard were leading their now breakaway-rivals by about a score of seconds. Because of his superb ride thus far on the climbs already, the Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard had ensured himself a trip to the podium at the end of this stage. He was guaranteed to don the Blue King of the Mountains Jersey. With this series of attacks, it seemed the shedding of the dead weight had proved effective, for the two leaders’ gap to the peloton was now 2:47 once again with 25km still to race.
The peloton crested the climb that same time gap later, and the Ineos Grenadiers were still pacing on the front—six or seven of them riding in a row for Egan Bernal their Great Hunter of the day. How did they react when they saw the breakaway’s gap extend once more? Perhaps Egan Bernal communicated to Salvatore Puccio the Grenadier on the very front: “Salvatore, you veteran of this Ineos team. You continue to do great work year after year, and for this Hunt today. Continue riding at such a pace as this until your tank is empty. There are still 25km to go, and I am not worried. We have time yet. Perhaps if we go a bit at our leisure, the other teams will commit to this Hunt as well.” And like clockwork, with 22km to go Bahrain Victorious sent a man to the front to aid the Grenadiers in their breakaway hunt. Slowly the gap started inch back down second-by-second at a snail’s pace.
Across the rolling high and rainy green plateau the racers flew. With 16km to go, Simon Carr and Geoffrey Bouchard had 19 seconds on the rest of the breakaway that was completely shattering. They were all on a long straight exposed road with the slightest of descents to it. The wind and the rain were wrenching gaps between the chasers. It was Trek’s Bauke Mollema and DSM’s Michael Storer who were having the most success in the pursuit of the leading pair. The speeds were absolutely ferocious in these wet conditions as miniature hunts took place amongst the Great One of the GC men. With 15km to go, the peloton’s gap was still above 2:30 to the leading pair. But with 13km, not only did Quickstep come to the front, their star lying second overall on GC and wearing the White Jersey of Best Young rider, Remco Evenepoel, came to the front and paced as well. How could such a GC star reveal himself so soon? Was there really such a threat of crosswinds that the safest place was the very front sucking up the most wind? With 12km to go the gap was down to 2:17, perhaps this Hunt was going exactly as Egan Bernal wanted it to.
At this time, to the middle chasing pair of Mollema and Storer, Jumbo-Visma’s Koen Bouwman heroically and successfully bridged. Thus with 10km to go, the situation on the road was this: the leading pair of Carr and Bouchard; 10 second behind the chasing trio of Mollema, Storer, and Bouwman; and the peloton 2:16 behind the leaders. And for the umpteenth time this Giro, everyone was being soaked to the bone. With 9.4km to go, the Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard sensed it was time, rolled his dice, and attacked Simon Carr to fly away for the finish line solo. The pair seemed to have been working well together, but after Bouchard’s attack Carr had no response—O! surely his morale had ebb and his drive deserted him. With 8km to go, Mollema, Storer, and Bouwman had already caught this fading Simon Carr. With 7km to go, Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard had 18 seconds on the chasing quartet, and still 2:10 on the peloton behind now led by Movistar—doing their fair share for this Great Hunt.
After some tight twists and turns, Bouchard began the final climb. The Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard climbing solo up the roads striking out for the first professional win of his career; already he would wear Blue tonight, but could he add a stage win to go with it? At the moment, he wore the AG2R’s white jersey with red lettering, and the classic brown shorts. For this Giro, he also has the “honor” to wear unlucky #13 stickers daily, thus he flipped up-side-down the right-side number sticker—as all professionals commonly do. With 5.5km still to ride, it was all proper climbing up the road. Bouchard’s gap to the chasers oscillated between 19 and 23 seconds; and ever the peloton whittled down the gap behind. It was now under 2:00, ah! did the GC Hunters have the breakaway right where they wanted them? With 5km to go, Bouchard’s head and shoulders were rocking, surely he was fatiguing. But the gradients of the road must have been rising as well, for the chasers’ momentum was slowing as well as they maintained the 19-second gap to Bouchard.
With only these 5-climbing-km still to ride, the Grenadiers came on to the front once more. Yes, Egan Bernal may have spoken with them: “Gentlemen, the gap is now under 1:50. Let us finish off this Great Hunt. Let us win the day and take the stage! And we shall try wrest off Pink from our GC Hunting companions.” Already, Groupama-FDJ’s Attila Vallter wearing the Pink Jersey as leader of the Giro d’Italia was nestled in the last third of the ever-shrinking peloton. Ever Ineos ratcheted up the pace. And once more amongst the chasers it was time to shed the dead weight or launch an antsy attack. It was Jumbo’s Koen Bouwman who could wait no longer, he jumped his chasing companions knowing it was now or never to catch Bouchard out front. Michael Storer just barely latched onto him, but with 3.9km Bouwman launched again and was finally away for good. Behind, Ineos still had 5 Hunters on the front of the peloton, and the gap was down to 1:21 to Bouchard. Then with 3.3km to go, Bouchard vanished in a tunnel. 19 seconds later Koen Bouwman alone followed him in. And 1:11 later the Ineos led peloton as well, with Attila the HUNgarian in Pink hanging on at the very back of the bunch.
Often it is deflating when a peloton goes into a long tunnel during the final kilometers of a race, for it has proven too difficult for many organizers to beam up the pictures from beneath the earth. Thus we viewers sit and wait, wondering what is going on in the subterrain. But if the tunnel is too long, we lose interest, we check our phones, our stomachs rumble and we think of the next meal; insert whatever distraction you wish. Often, tunnels snap us out our concentration on the story and make our minds daydream further, or remember what is going on in our “real lives.” But credit to the Giro this day. At 900m long, this tunnel was the perfect length to build up peak anticipation. Would Bouwman catch Bouchard? What would be their gap to the Ineos led peloton? Would Attila the HUNgarian in his Pink Jersey still be amongst the bunch? As we waited, the helicopter panned around to what would still be faced. They would come out with 2km still to climb, take a left at a large roundabout, shortly make another sharper left turn, and then that would be it: they will have reached the dramatic gravel section for the final 1.6km stretch. Then the helicopter panned back to the entrance of the tunnel to see who would emerge first. It was the final calm before the storm. Then the leading cars came out of the drier tunnel and into the windy and raining elements once more; it would be a strong tailwind for the riders in the final 2km.
Then, just as all started wondering how many leading vehicles escort the front of this Giro d’Italia. Geoffrey Bouchard, the Frenchman of AG2R emerged alone, back in the elements once more. He was chugging with all his might, but he was clearly O! so fatigued. And there came Bouwman as well within 10 seconds, O! he certainly had Bouchard in his crosshairs. Bouchard was going to be caught. Ah! But what was their gap to the peloton? Despite the two leaders up the road, we all still watched the exit of the tunnel in anticipation. 56 seconds after Bouchard, the peloton emerged, still led by the Grenadiers in flying formation. Blue Angel fighter jets, a sleek powerful locomotive with the inertia of a charging elephant, a well drilled set of sled-dog huskies pulling the sleigh for their Great Hunter—pick whichever image you like, and that is what the Grenadiers looked like as they emerged from the tunnel. But still dangling at the back of the peloton was Attila Vallter the HUNgarian defending his Pink Jersey with all his might. Throughout the whole tunnel the road had still steadily climbed, but now on the not-oft used gravel service road the gradients would reach by far their steepest pitches for the day.
Bouwman caught Bouchard within 100m after hitting the gravel, tired as they both were. With 1.3km to go, still they had 48 seconds on the peloton; on a flat stage that would allow for plenty of time to cat-and-mouse. Ah! But here the road only rose, and the Ineos Grenadiers were ready to finish the Great Hunt. One by one the Grenadiers had finished their chasing for their Great Hunter, Egan Bernal; he was down to his last lieutenant of the day, Gianni Moscon. “Drive up the pace, Gianni!” Bernal might have said. “Drive it! I am feeling great, I know I can finish it off this day!” And at that moment, Attila Vallter in Pink could hang on no longer with still a full kilometer of steep-rising gravel. Attila began the day with only an 11-second gap to Remco Evenepoel, and a 16-second gap to Egan Bernal. This last steep kilometer would wrench open a wider gap between them. Ah! But where was Remco Evenepoel, wearing the White Jersey? With 900m to go, it was Moscon on the front followed by Great Hunter Bernal, Quickstep’s Joao Almeida was next, Trek’s Guilio Ciccone after, then BikeExchange’s Simon Yates. Remco Evenepoel was down in 15th wheel among this pack. Was he sorely out of position, or was he too hanging on by just a thread? With 600m to go, still the gradients were not even dreaming of letting up, but still Bouwman and Bouchard on the front had a 14-second’s lead. Then, on the riders’ right side in the dirt and the rain and all the chaos Astana’s great GC Hunter and hope Aleksandr Vlasov attacked. Ah! But all knew who was the Great Hunter this day, all knew who it must be to catch the last two nomad escapees from the early break of the day.
“Yes, it is time to do my thing. Make way! Make way! I shall launch now, and finish this Great Hunt,” hypothetically spake the Great Hunter Egan Bernal. He sped around Vlasov. Only Ciccone could mark him in anyway, for this Hunter stalled just a moment to switch his gears properly on the technical gravel. And then he launched. With 400m to go on the dot, the Great Hunt was completed. He flew by Bouwman and Bouchard who were desperately pedaling squares at walking-pace speeds. Truly, if they turned their heads to see him fly by, they would have had whiplash.
Were a pair of hardy Sienese tifosi to have trekked to the top of that gravel finishing climb to see the Giro finish on this harsh, rainy, windswept gravel service road far from their Siena, they would have been reminded of their own beloved Classic, Strade Bianche that took place but two months ago. Staring from the finish line down the steep gravel, these Sienese would have acclaimed about what they were seeing 300m away below them. “Ai! Ai! I did not know [Alpecin’s] Mathieu Van Der Poel was riding this Giro d’Italia! I thought he was mountain-biking in the Czech Republic this day! Ai! How can he be in two places at once? Truly, truly, look at this man who flies up the gravel so ferociously! He looks like a Rocketeer, he looks like the violent Madman that won our beautiful Strade Bianche!” But as he would come into view, still smashing his pedals, still never at all letting up for a second, distancing all the competition by a country-mile, the Sienese pair would then exclaim: “No! No! This is not Mathieu the Madman, this one is more lean—a climber for the highest of passes. Yes, yes, truly, I recognize this one as well! He was third at our beloved Strade this year. That is Egan Bernal the Grenadier, the 2019 Tour de France champion, back on his best form here today. Ole! Ole! What a performance he is putting on for us today! Ah! Truly, truly he is doing his best Van Der Poel impression. He is a Rocketman as well. None are in his stratosphere on these steep grades. There, there. Finally the road levels out. Ah! And he crosses the line completely spent. Look he only gasps in relief, he cannot even cheer.” Yes, thus it was Egan Bernal took the day. It was his first Grand Tour stage win—unbelievably enough. He beat Guilio Ciccone by 7 seconds, Vlasov was with him in third. And despite his poor positioning, in White Remco Evenepoel recovered his deficit as best he could to finish 4th 10 seconds behind Bernal. But with only 5 seconds separating them to begin the day, and after factoring in the 10, 6, and 4 Time Bonuses: Remco will wear White once more tomorrow. Yes, the Great Hunter captured not only the stage, but the maglia rosa as well. Mighty Egan Bernal has come out of this Queen stage of the Apennines leading the Giro d’Italia.
Cycling Odysseys 