The Giro di Sardegna runner-up took his second top ten at this year’s Corsa Rosa.
Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia took in some truly breathtaking scenery as the peloton arrived in Trento, one of the country’s most stunning regions. Long before the start, everyone agreed that the profile of the day was ideal for a breakaway to go all the way, and that made for a fierce battle in the opening hour of the race as dozens of riders were determined to make it into the first group.
A breakaway took shape after more than 40 kilometers, and with most teams represented there, the peloton finally relented and allowed 20-odd riders to open a substantial gap. Gianmarco Garofoli and Fabio Van den Bossche were the two Soudal Quick-Step men there, helping the move increase their lead to seven minutes. Inside 35 kilometers to go, the Italian responded to an attack, which led to another group forming on the hilly roads to Andalo, where the race returned after ten years.
The steep slopes of the last ascent proved to be a bit too much for the 23-year-old, but he didn’t throw in the towel and fought hard, gritting his teeth to bridge across. Eventually, the last ramps of the day put an end to his spell at the front of the group, but Gianmarco still had something left after this draining day of racing to finish seventh and rack up his sixth top-ten of the season.
“Today was a really hard day, with many strong riders at the front. I did my best to be in the mix for victory, but missed out on staying with the main group for just a bit on the penultimate climb. I am content to be at this level in the third week of the Giro and it was nice to be in the top ten again. We have a few more stages to go and we’ll keep trying”, Gianmarco explained after the stage.
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