Tadej Pogačar’s GC rivals knew he would assault on Sunday’s queen stage on the Giro d’Italia, however that did not make it any extra manageable, Geraint Thomas stated post-race.
The pink-jersey-wearer put in a sometimes commanding show on stage 15, his most dominant to date on the race, breaking free with 14km to go to win the stage, three minutes forward of the opposite GC contenders.
The Slovenian’s assault got here after over 200km of racing by the mountains, en path to a summit end at over 2,300m altitude. Talking after the end line, Thomas stated he “knew the assault was coming”, however could not reply.
“UAE rode arduous all day, they needed to go for the stage, and honest play to them, chapeau to them, all of them simply buried themselves,” he advised the Eurosport cameras in Livigno.
“To be trustworthy, I wasn’t feeling 100%. I wasn’t assured anyway. I did not really feel tremendous all day. So when it got here, I simply thought I would try to use the opposite guys, observe them.”
The one rider who tried to observe Pogačar’s stinging assault was Dani Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe), who lasted however a number of hundred meters earlier than rejoining the GC pack.
“Clearly we simply slowed proper up and it grew to become a cat and mouse, a race amongst us actually,” Thomas stated of the group. “Everybody simply type of let Pog go and do his factor.”
The most recent race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
With the pink jersey out of sight, the opposite crew leaders then rode at their very own tempo to the mountaintop finale, the place they scrapped for seconds amongst themselves.
Thomas completed sixth on the stage, clocking the identical time as Martínez, to carry onto his second place general. The duo managed to wrestle out a number of additional seconds over their different rivals, although, particularly fourth-placed Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), who crossed the road eight seconds after them.
“I felt higher, the legs type of got here spherical, and I felt alright by the tip. It was good to realize a little bit of time on everybody and end with Dani,” Thomas stated.
The Welshman’s hole to Pogačar, nevertheless, virtually doubled on the day. Having gone into the stage three minutes and 41 seconds down on the Slovenian, he now trails by virtually seven minutes within the normal classification, forward of the ultimate week of racing.
For Pogačar, the race marked “among the finest days“, his fourth stage win on his Giro debut. “I might not say the most effective day of my profession, nevertheless it was a very nice stage, a extremely good route, good climbs,” the race chief stated.
“We had this stage in thoughts since, I do not know, December or no matter. I am super-happy that we saved it below management. It was a extremely sturdy breakaway, however I gave all of it within the final 10km or so, 15km. I am super-happy that I might win a queen stage in Livigno, one among my favorite locations in Italy.”
