For the second day in a row, a Soudal Quick-Step rider was present in the breakaway.
The Giro d’Italia continued with another stage in the mountains, which promised more fireworks between the GC contenders. On the menu: Passo Tonale and Mortirolo, the latter making its 17th presence at the race, this time from a different side, where the gradients were not so demanding. A breakaway of 38 riders started this legendary climb – one of cycling’s most difficult ascents – with a gap of three minutes on the peloton, among those in the lead being also Soudal Quick-Step’s Mattia Cattaneo.
Fourth on the second individual time trial of the race, the Italian produced an astonishing ride after being dropped before the top of the Mortirolo, flying on the descent to return at the front, where he continued to be the “engine” of the group, which numbered just eight men now. Despite their gap rapidly coming down on the false flat to La Motte – the last difficulty of the day – the escapees continued to believe in their chances, and Cattaneo took some long pulls that further reduced the group.
Their adventure at the front of the race came to an end before the top of the climb, just ten kilometers from the finish, and the victory was an affair between three riders, Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) emerging victorious after an acceleration in the last kilometer. Mattia was our first rider home, while James Knox gained another place on the overall standings following this second mountain stage of the week.
“My goal was to be in the breakaway today, and once there, I did my best until the finish. I even tried to make a selection, as I knew the downhill off Mortirolo, and believed in our chances of going all the way to the line, but in the end, it turned out to be a GC stage and we were reeled in. There are still four stages left and we are motivated to give our best until the end of the race”, Mattia said after his strong day in the break.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
