Giro d'Italia

Veneria Reale, the small town in the Piedmont, got to host the Grande Partenza for just the second time in the race’s 115-year history. This 107th edition, which got underway Saturday afternoon, marked Soudal Quick-Step’s 20th consecutive presence at the Corsa Rosa, and our team was among the protagonists on the short but fast and nervous opening stage that ended in Torino.

The first Italian capital has a long tradition and deep history at Il Giro, having featured on the route of the inaugural edition, when Luigi Ganna took a solo victory. This time, the riders arrived there in small groups, after the peloton exploded on the viciously steep gradients of the San Vito climb. Initially, Julian Alaphilippe was among the few who tamed those slopes, joining a strong three-man group, but the effort took its toll on the Frenchman, who got distanced before the top.

Once he rejoined the depleted peloton, Julian linked up with teammate Mauri Vansevenant, who also got off to solid start at the Corsa Rosa, concluding the stage in seventh place, just a couple of seconds behind winner Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers). This result confirmed the great form he has been enjoying since mid-April, when he scored a pair of top 10 results in Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and put Mauri just four seconds from the race’s white jersey.

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images