You have to imagine the mental strength needed to cover so many kilometers, endure so much effort and deal with the ups and downs inherent to the Grand Tours. The day before, during a particularly exhausting stage, Guillaume Martin was eventually left behind by the frontrunners.
The disappointment of the evening and his apologies to the whole team were quickly filed away as painful memories. Today, from the very first kilometers on the steep slopes of the Passo del Tonale, there were many attacks. Among the most active riders: Guillaume Martin. For a while he was in a group of chasers, but then he joined the breakaway group of 23 riders.
Tomorrow, Consonni's turn?
On the climb to Giovo, after several kilometers of descent, the group split in two and Guillaume was still at the front. The Cofidis leader was one of the main players in the race for a long time and symbolically took the lead at the intermediate sprint. He then led the charge behind Mathieu Van der Poel and the leaders, before finishing the stage in 9th place, 2 min 59 sec behind the winner, Santiago Buitrago. In the overall classification, Guillaume is still in 16th place, 25 min 52 sec behind the pink jersey, Richard Carapaz.
Tomorrow, no more big mountain stages! The stage should be much less eventful between Borgo Valsugana and Treviso. Along the 156 km, the riders will be able to admire the Prosecco vineyards before switching to the final circuit. There, the sprinters' teams will be the ones to take the lead, and for good reason: this is the last opportunity of this Giro to show off for those who love massive sprints. Davide Cimolai and Simone Consonni will have the opportunity to do their best.
