The 31-year-old gave it another go, this time on the rolling roads around Napoli.
Julian Alaphilippe turned a quiet and rather uneventful stage into a memorable one after going on the attack for the third time in the first week of the race, this time 30 kilometers from the finish of the stage that concluded in Napoli. Having come close to victory in Rapolano Terme, the double World Champion showed he is determined to leave his mark on the Corsa Rosa and continue his pursuit of what would be a well-deserved win.
Arguably the most combative rider of the race since the whole thing got underway in Venaria Reale, Alaphilippe threw caution to the wind on the first of the three small climbs spicing up the last hour of racing on Sunday, launching a stinging acceleration that helped him bridge across to the original breakaway, where he was soon joined by three other men.
Julian produced a brilliant ride, helping the front group take their advantage to almost 30 seconds. Every time the road went up, the Frenchman pulled hard, without looking back and without giving up, his all-or-nothing move putting pressure on the peloton, who couldn’t make the catch despite seeing him up the road. On the final hill, Alaphilippe left his last companion behind and continued to press on, alone against the sprinters’ teams who wanted to bring everything back together before the closing kilometer in Napoli.
It took a late burst of speed of Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) for Julian to be caught just 500 meters from the top of the ascent, from where only six kilometers remained. The bunch got its wish, and the winner emerged after a mass gallop, which saw Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) prevail on the line. Jan Hirt concluded with the peloton and retained his place in the top ten of the general classification going into the first rest day of the race.
“The attack wasn’t planned, but I found myself in a good position on the climb, noticed that the bunch was nervous, so I decided to try something. I gave it my all, but in the end, I missed a bit to stay away. I am happy with my shape, I enjoy the race and I am also content with how I feel. Now I’m looking forward to a nice rest day, after which I will keep trying. As I said before, the race is still long”, Julian said at the finish in Napoli.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
