🇮🇹 #Giro | ST 04 🎙️ Listen to @PhilBauhaus as he reflects on his 🥉 3rd place finish in today's stage @giroditalia #RideAsOne #rideforGino #GirodItalia
Sprint superstars feared for their lives and don't care about winning in the Giro: "I'm just glad to be alive"
CyclingTuesday, 07 May 2024 at 17:10
Jonathan Milan clinched the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia, but the real story for the second day running was the formidable and varied sprinting field. Many big names missed out on victory, each sharing tales primarily about the extremely fast and dangerous finale.
The Giro organizers selected Capo Mele for the critical final stretch, a climb infamous from Milan-San Remo. Like on Monday, the climb injected plenty of drama into the peloton. Filippo Ganna launched an attack and the sprint teams quickly strung out behind him. "It was an incredibly hectic sprint, with tremendous speeds. Teams were fighting for positions, which at times was quite frightening and only pushed the pace higher," remarked Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), the runner-up, once his pulse had returned to normal.
"I'm just relieved to be alive," Tim Merlier confessed to Eurosport, echoing Groves. The comment stood out, especially since he had won the previous day. This time he came in fifth. "In the last kilometer and a half, I saw two riders nearly crash over the barriers shoulder to shoulder. I managed to sprint well, but Milan was just unstoppable with his powerful riding. I would have loved to win, and perhaps it was possible, but the conditions were hectic and perilous, so I'm okay with the outcome. It’s all part of the job."
Continue reading below the photo.
Tim Merlier
Merlier saw intense position battles
Speaking with VTM, Merlier elaborated on why the situation was particularly dangerous. "At the top of Capo Mele, I was a bit too far back. Due to the high speed in the descent, I had to hit the brakes hard twice because it looked like those in front of me were going to crash. At that moment, I really feared for my life."
Ganna's attack added to the chaos. It wasn’t the typical setup for a sprint, but a peloton that had to muster all its strength to catch the Italian. "These kinds of stages are great for riders who aim for a late breakaway. We saw that yesterday with Pogacar, and he could have done it again. However, the wind was in our favor, so you had to be very strong to stay away," Groves, who was pleased with his silver, commented. "We're slowly getting to where we want to be. The team is riding strong for me, and we keep pushing and trying."
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Bauhaus lashes out at Giro organization
Alongside Merlier and Groves, Phil Bauhaus was also visibly upset about the dangerous finish after the race. The German rider from Bahrain Victorious finished third, but he couldn't care less about the result. "To be honest, I’m not a fan of such finishes. Everyone made it safely, which is the most important thing. We were going downhill at eighty kilometers per hour towards a mass sprint; I don’t think that’s necessary."
"We all take so many risks, and bunch sprints are already super dangerous. Then, a descent like that isn’t needed. Today I rode with 58 gears, something I've never done before," Bauhaus criticized the Giro organizers. He was brief about the result itself. "It's disappointing for the team because we didn't achieve what we hoped for. However, third in the Giro is still a good result that we can build on."
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024