The 22-year-old Grand Tour debutant - who hails from Genoa, not far from the route of Wednesday’s stage - impressed on his home roads en route to a third top ten at the Corsa Rosa.
The hills were back on the menu at the Giro d’Italia after just a day. Following Tuesday’s individual time trial in Tuscany, the peloton took on the testing roads of Liguria for a stage that had breakaway written all over it. Four classified climbs and 2500 vertical meters were the perfect terrain for a group to go, and when this happened, after several skirmishes in a crazy fast hour of racing, Jasper Stuyven was there for Soudal Quick-Step.
“We knew it was going to be a tough day, and even though the course was a bit too hard for me, I wanted to try something in the breakaway. It was a nice group, but once the climbers came across, the balance tilted towards them. I gave my best, had a good feeling and I am motivated to try again at some point in this Giro”, Jasper said at the finish.
Inside the final 100 kilometers, Filippo Zana bridged across together with a small group, giving our team two cards for the last part of the stage, but all hopes of a good result went up in smoke after the former Italian Champion crashed on a descent - an incident that took him out of contention. The steep gradient on the final two ascents of the day was too much for the Paris-Roubaix podium finisher, who got distanced by the punchers, keen on making a selection.
With around 16 kilometers to go, Andrea Raccagni made a smart move by attacking from the bunch and getting a gap which he maintained until the finish in Chiavari - which returned as a stage finish for the first time in almost seven decades - where he took another top ten after the ones in Cosenza and Potenza. However, this had a special flavour, as it came on the roads he knew very well, in front of his family and fan club, who supported him throughout the stage and came at the finish to see him.
I feel goosebumps, because it was incredible today.
“The first part of the stage ran not far from where I live and it was fantastic to hear my name shout from the roadside. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people support a rider this Giro so far, it’s like a whole town came to show me their love.”
“This fueled and motivated me a lot. Today I tried to go in the early breakaway, but it wasn’t easy, as they rode full gas and I didn’t have the best legs there. But as the kilometers went by, I began feeling better and was determined to give it my best and do something. That’s why I’m content with this top ten, it’s a special result”, a smiling and emotional Andrea said at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
