Remco Evenepoel finished inside the bunch stage seven, the longest of the race so far.
The second of the Corsa Rosa’s seven summit finishes came and went, but just like the first one it didn’t bring any significant changes – in part due to the strong headwind – to the general classification, where the gaps between the main contenders continue to be the ones set on the opening day individual time trial.
Second overall after a week of racing, Remco Evenepoel retained his position in the overall standings after crossing the line on Campo Imperatore with the main peloton, at the front of which Soudal Quick-Step pushed a steady tempo – with the likes of Mattia Cattaneo and Pieter Serry – on the mammoth climb which decided the winner of the stage. The victory went to Davide Bais (Eolo Kometa), from the day’s breakaway, while Evenepoel sprinted from the pack to finish fourth, a couple of minutes later.
“It was a long day, of more than six hours in the saddle. Near the top the temperatures were low and we had some headwind, so nobody tried anything. I knew the sprint wouldn’t change anything, but I did it to stay out of trouble and because it’s always better to finish among the first than with the last. Now I look forward to recovering before Saturday’s stage, which can be a hard one”, said Remco at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
