Perguia—Montalcino, 162km
It was another of those days in cycling that can turn the average fan into a superfan. It was a day where everyone has a story to tell. It was Strade Bianche Day on the Giro d’Italia. Yes, the Giro made a grand foray into the white gravel roads of Tuscany this day. The gravel was looser and dustier at this time of year compared to the March Strade Bianche slot. Many of the General Classification (GC) riders did not think 40km of treacherous gravel belonged in a Grand Tour. This was too much of an unnecessary hazard to their GC campaigns not even if they crashed, but only punctured—so much time they could lose by sheer bad luck. As much as I love them all, one GCN commentator even dared utter the most cringing-cliché in cycling: “This was a day you could not win the Giro, but you sure could lose it.” I do sympathize with the GC men who have trained so hard for this Giro d’Italia for months on end already. It is a shame to see anyone crash out of their biggest appointment prematurely. And it is a great shame too that an untimely puncture and abnormally long bike change could cost one of the top men multiple minutes on the GC.
But allow me to address all of these concerns briefly. To the untimely mechanicals, has not the technological side always been integral and essential to the sport? Are not all the manufacturers trying to create the highest-functioning and most durable equipment? Is it not fitting that there should be a day where the technological aspect too should be put to the test? To the GC riders who find these gravel sections too hazardous, I ask whether or not a Grand Tour should measure the riders in all facets of the sport. I dare mention too Strade Bianche’s original name: the Eroica. Not only is the Eorica the name of the symphony that serves as the Cycling Odysseys theme music, it means “Heroic.” You Grand Tour riders are the modern-day heroes, out there doing what the common man cannot fathom. I would even go so far to say that gravel stages such as this should not even be a big deal, because they should be more common as they were of old. There is a reason in all the cycling photographs from a century ago the riders all have goggles somewhere on their person—most days were dirt-road Strade Bianche days! And finally to address the cringey cliché: if the Giro cannot be won on this day, on what day can it be won? Was the Giro won today is up for debate and to be determined, but it is undeniable that inroads to victory have been further carved out this day.
The day began with an 11-man breakaway being let completely off the leash. The breakaway of non-GC threats had a 14-minute lead when they hit the first gravel section with 70km to go. As I said, all have a story to tell today, but alas! the breakaway’s is not the one this recap shall focus on. As the breakaway entered the whisps and flurries of dust, all heartrates rose and all eyes where enthralled to the screen. It was a recon of what was to come in 14-minutes’ time when the peloton itself hit would these white roads. Ah! But the peloton’s approach was much quicker and heated—all fought to be at the front of the peloton for the white roads where it was the safest. It was a fiercer lead-out than many sprints, it was as fierce a lead-out as into the most critical sections of a Northern Classic (the Trench of Arenberg at Paris-Roubaix, into the Koppenberg at the Tour of Flanders). And who won this great battle among the whole of the peloton into this white gravel? Yes, yes, of course it was the Ineos Grenadiers led by Filippo “Top” Ganna Shatterer of Pelotons. Yes, yes, dirt roads did not stop this jet fighter, upon hitting the gravel he was instantly shattering the peloton within seconds. Second wheel behind Top Ganna was his Grenadier teammate Egan Bernal wearing the Pink Jersey as the leader of the Giro d’Italia. That was the Ineos plan, for Bernal to stay right up front and ride on Ganna’s coattails while the rest of the field was instantly strung out behind. The Grenadiers would not calmly control this day since they were already in Pink. No! This day they would be the creators of chaos as soon as chance allowed. This is what they did. I am not exaggerating when I say within 5-minutes of being on the gravel Ganna had completely denotated the race. Ganna was pulling back a minute of the lead on the breakaway every 2 kilometers in this first section. The dust was ferocious, and the speeds unbridled. Truly, imagine or remember the first car chase in the last Mad Max: Fury Road movie with the massive dust storm, the full throttle engines, the fires and explosions, and the crazy guy playing guitar. Truly, truly, this first section of white gravel today was like that Fury Road. For some of the GC contenders, they did not know how to react to the absolute chaos they were in the midst of. In one long line the riders could be strung out, and yet 30 or 40 seconds could separate the front from the back. And all the time gaps were appearing. Ever, ever this Top Ganna drove on with Bernal in his wake no matter the low-visibility from the dust picked up by the leading cars and motorcycles, no matter the treacherous loose-gravel turns that caught out many. Even the mighty Rockstar Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgohe) had trouble keeping pace with them.
For a whole half-hour Ganna drove it, and he successfully caused a split containing only half the leading GC men. The most prominent man caught back in the second GC group on the road was Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-Quickstep) wearing the White Jersey of Best Young Rider, sitting second Overall in the standings to start the day. When the first sector of gravel finally came to an end, his Wolfpack teammates buried themselves riding on the front of this group to close down a 20-second gap to the leading GC group of Ganna and Bernal and many other favorites. With more than 50km still to race, the Quickstep Wolfpack got Remco back into contention, but at the cost of all his teammates—save Joao Almeida. Luckily, for Remco and the rest of the peloton, Top Ganna the Shatterer of Pelotons was also cooked and his work more than finished for the day in service of his team leader wearing the Pink Jersey. With Ganna’s departure, the next gravel section was not as chaotic as it was simply grueling. Most of the section was a trek up a long massive gravel climb that even reached pitches of 16%. Ever it was Egan Bernal and his Grenadiers that were driving the pace—easing up for no one. Though all stayed together, it was becoming very clear who was struggling physically and technically on this brutal stage. Remco Evenepoel was always to be spotted at the back.
And then the drama really began on the third long sector of gravel with 20km to go. On the descent part of the gravel, Remco was the last to start a few bike-lengths behind the last rider. Truly, it was becoming apparent that the young Belgian phenom who came to cycling late as a teenager might not have a comfortable level of off-roading skills. To reiterate, should the Grand Tours not be a test of all facets of the sport? Yes, having always stayed at the back of the groups on all these gravel sectors, Remco had always been expending more energy all day clawing his way back when the peloton contracted once more. And then as this gravel sector rose uphill, Remco found himself with a 5-to-10-second gap he was no longer able to close. The initial gap was communicated to the Grenadiers over the radios, immediately—despite having other Grenadier teammates—Egan Bernal wearing the Pink Jersey drove up the peloton’s pace himself. Bernal knew this was an excellent opportunity to put a massive dent into one of his rivals on terrain that favored him. To reiterate, can one really only lose the Giro this day? Bernal drove on, and everyone else helped when they understood Remco was in trouble—for Remco is a threat to all. Then, but of course, one man—even if he is Remco Evenepoel—was no match verse the 20 or 30 still in the group. Remco was struggling. Perhaps he was bonking. Perhaps it was natural for him to be simply fatigued by this point—mind you, it is already Stage 11 of his very first Grand Tour. At one point in his suffering he was so upset he forcefully took out his earbud not wanting to communicate by radio. His Quickstep teammate Joao Almeida took much too long to drop back to help pace his leader in his most vulnerable moment. It was the most we have seen Remco suffer while racing in his career thus far.
With Remco sitting second overall, all kept pushing the pace to distance him further to unseat him from that high GC position, with 10km to go Remco was a full minute behind. By that point, the gravel had all just about been conquered. The Eroica warriors were clad in dust from foot to head—ah! but how they still glistened in the sun’s rays! Yet even then were being threatened for the race was right on the border of a storm, and the brutality of the day was not done yet. The riders still had to tackle a Category3 climb that crested with 4km left in the stage. All the GC men that were left and had anything left tried launching something on that climb to find some separation. Astana’s Aleksandr Vlasov, EF’s Hugh Carthy, and Trek’s Guilio Ciccone all tried something. But those attacks were to no avail. The only one to find great separation was Bora’s Emanuel Buchmann who steadily raced away up the road while the rest counterattacked each other from behind. Just as it looked like Buchmann would crest the top of the climb with about a score of seconds in hand on his GC rivals, the race’s leader pressed his advantage. Egan Bernal in the Pink Jersey attacked over the top of the climb to distance himself from all his man GC rivals and catch Emanuel Buchmann out front. The two rode away on the final descent, where only 3 minutes before the pair who fought out the victory had passed as well; yes, 11 minutes of the breakaway’s advantage had been eaten up in the course of 70km. Bernal and Buchmann came around the final turn with 200m to go to face a final 10% ramp. Both dashed up it knowing every second surely counts in this race for the GC. But even in that final 200m, Egan took 2 or 3 seconds on Buchmann. Some-25 seconds later came Vlasov, Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange), and Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma). Hugh Carthy came in 32 seconds behind Bernal; Guilio Ciccone 1:45; Movistar’s Marc Soler about 2:00 with Trek’s veteran Vincenzo Nibali. And the young phenom on his first bad day, Remco Evenepoel in White, came in about 2:10 down on Egan Bernal in Pink. Yes, yes, surely Egan Bernal has not yet won this Giro—it is now but only half over. And yet, clearly Egan and the Grenadiers had a fantastic day as he put time into all of his top rivals. Yes, perhaps in 10 days’ time we shall even dare to say this was the day the Giro was won. To append this recap, I must at least mention the breakaway that successfully stayed away. This was a day none of them will ever forget. This was the day they all outran the monstrous chaos behind. If ever there was a special day to be in the vanguard of the Giro d’Italia, it was this day. There was no clear favorite amongst the group. All gave this rare victory opportunity their best shot. Attacks and counterattacks were being launched and fired. It was a fine and beautiful battle. Truly, it was more beautiful than the GC, because with less bodies on the road to keep track of the scenery could be better soaked in. The rolling green hills. In one direction, a perfect blue sky with gentle clouds clearly painted by an artist of divine talent. The white gravel was beautiful, and even the dust it kicked up. And the best scenes—save the finish—were the iconic Tuscan tall and narrow, green and bushy cypress trees that for sections bordered the gravel roadsides and stunning vineyards. And then the finishing line shot was beyond iconic: where UAE’s Alessandro Covi bowed his head in exhaustion and defeat while Mauro Schmid had both fists in the air in celebration of his victory. Surely, such an image shall be treasured by Schmid’s Qhubeka Assos team as one of their greatest victories. I must say I was totally blow away seeing that uphill drag lined with excited Italians in a beautiful Tuscan village with the perfect clouds and blue sky above and the distant shot of the rolling green hills far behind where all the fierce battle was done today. It was beautiful. Perhaps something only Italy could achieve. What was that catchphrase billing? “The Hardest Race in the Most Beautiful Place.” The Giro knocked that one out of the park today.
Cycling Odysseys 