The Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) won this Sunday in the second stage of the 107th edition of the Giro d’Italia, of 161 kilometers between San Francesco del Campo and the Sanctuary of Oropaand has taken over the overall lead, overthrowing the Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers).
On the second day of the transalpine round, the double Tour de France champion struck the first blow and showed that the race will be a free-for-all against Pogacar. With 4.5 kilometers to go, on the climb to the Santuario di Oropa, where he recovered from a small falljumped out of the group of favorites and went alone.
With a final time of 3.54.20, Pogacar conquered the 71st victory of his professional career, the eighth of the season. The Colombian Daniel Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe) and the British Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) completed the podium of the day, 27 seconds behind the Slovenian.
Now, carry the pink sweater and dominates the classification with a 45-second advantage over, precisely, Geraint Thomas and Daniel Martínez, while Juanpe López (Lidl-Trek) emerges as the first Spaniard in the general classification, seventh, 1.09 behind the leader.
Attacks from the first kilometer
With no time left for anything, the initial kilometer saw the breakaway of the day take shape, with the Italians Davide Bais (Team Polti Kometa), Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost), Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group- Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) as protagonists.
With Fiorelli winning the intermediate sprints of Valdengo and Crocemosso, it was Piccolo who managed to stand out before the climb to the Nelva pass. From behind, with 11 kilometers to go, Pogacar approached his team vehicle to ask for the replacement of his front wheel due to a puncture that caused him to crash.
The group caught Piccolo 6.5 kilometers from the finish line, and just two later the Slovenian dealt the final blow. In the promotion to Oropa, where Marco Pantani shone with an extraordinary comeback in 1999, Pogacar became strong and gained almost a minute on his pursuers.
This Monday, the transalpine round will face its third stage, eminently flat over 165 kilometers between Novara and Fossano although with some small ups and downs in the central part. The finish is characterized by the Cherasco spur until the last short climb to Fossano.
