Izagirre dashes Italian hopes
SPAIN’S Gorka Izagirre kept the hosts waiting for a win at the 100th Giro d’Italia after capturing a thrilling eighth stage victory yesterday.
Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels retained the race leader’s pink jersey with a six-second lead on Britain’s Geraint Thomas (Sky) after a 189km ride from Molfetta in the heel of Italy’s boot to the spectacular hilltop town of Peschici overlooking the Adriatic sea.
But the Quick Step rider, whose race lead came under threat from Italian Valerio Conti during an earlier, 15-man breakaway and again when Spanish rival Mikel Landa (Sky) launched a late, futile attack, flirted with disaster when he crashed on a downhill section.
“It was a fight the whole day through,” said Jungels.
After stages in Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and now Puglia the pressure has been building on the hosts during a widely-feted 100th edition.
The last time the home fans had to wait so long for an individual stage win was in 2010, when Filippo Pozzato broke the duck with victory in the 12th stage at Porto Recanati.
After Izagirre avoided a last-gasp collission with Conti, who crashed on the final bend leading to the uphill home straight, he ensured the ‘tifosi’ would be made to wait at least another day, thus claiming his first Giro stage success.
Italian Giovanni Visconti, the Bahrain teammate of defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, finished second at five seconds behind with Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) in third.
“It was a very hard stage,” said Izagirre. “I’m very happy I won. I got an opportunity and I’m glad I didn’t miss it.” – AFP