Giro d'Italia

On a day that no cycling fan will ever forget, Julian Alaphilippe took one of his finest wins, completing his set of stage victories in all three Grand Tours and showing once again that class is permanent. The embodiment of panache, Alaphilippe produced a sensational ride in the breakaway before arriving solo in Fano – after almost 140 kilometers on the attack – where he signed off Soudal Quick-Step’s second success at this Giro d’Italia.

“I am incredibly happy! It was my dream when I came to the start of my first Giro, and now, I can’t describe the feelings that I have.”

This victory means a lot to me.

“It took me some time to return at the top, but I always kept pushing and believing in myself, and I am happy I could do it today, at one of the most beautiful races in the world. It’s a special and emotional moment for me, a day I will forever remember”, an overwhelmed Alaphilippe said after his eighth Grand Tour win.

On a leg-sapping day in the Marche region, the two-time World Champion showed endless amounts of guts by joining the breakaway some 60 kilometers into the stage, after another fast start. Loulou remained there only for a couple of minutes, attacking on one of the numerous climbs that made up the course of stage 12, and immediately opened a gap. Joined by Mirco Maestri (Polti Kometa), Julian gave everything in the two-man break despite their chances looking slim at the moment they took off, with 125 kilometers to go.

The duo’s maximum gap hovered around two minutes, but that didn’t stop Julian and his Italian companion from working well together, trading turns at the front and remaining calm even when the nine-man chasing group trimmed their advantage to just a minute for the final 50 kilometers. Alaphilippe, who showed the same grit that has led him to so many memorable wins since turning pro with Soudal Quick-Step, continued to put in some long pulls and arrived at the bottom of the final hill with a margin of around 50 seconds.

On the double-digit gradients that began to bite in the opening kilometer of the ascent, Julian rode away and continued his exceptionally strong ride, cresting the top more than half a minute ahead of the chasers. The 31-year-old maintained that margin on the descent and arrived alone at the finish, where he celebrated one of the most jaw-dropping performances of his career, capping off a stunning ride that served as testament to his determination and remarkable fighting spirit.

“It wasn’t planned to go from the distance. Today was full gas from the start and my amazing team did a great job in the opening part of the stage, then I went all-out on the climbs and got a gap together with Mirco.”

I want to say chapeau to him, we worked well together and he too would have deserved to win.

“The advantage wasn’t big, but I felt good the entire stage, I raced with passion and grinta, and kept pushing until the final 500 meters, when I was finally sure of my win. Today was pure cycling, the kind of day that I love so much and that I will always remember”, said “Il Maestro” Julian after adding to his extraordinary legacy.

Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images