Giro d’Italia Stage Previews: Stages 5-8
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Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images,
With four stages in the books, we can already say that we will have a unique and unpredictable Giro d’Italia, for a little while anyway. The twists and turns on display today will continue until the first rest day, and beyond. Let’s dive right in!
Stage 5: Modena — Cattolica, 177km
What Is It? Flat, transitional day to give the climbers a breather (let’s not go overboard just yet) and bring the sprinters back onto the stage before their nightmares begin.
Detailed Description: A straight shot down a secondary highway, the SS9, until the race reaches the Adriatic shore in Rimini. Then things get ever so slightly more entertaining as the peloton rolls along the water to Cattolica for the final 20km, before a rather circular and maybe slightly tricky wind-up to the final sprint.
Nizzolo storms to 2nd place on stage 2 of Giro d'Italia
Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com) sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo stormed to an impressive second place on stage two (179km) of the Giro d'Italia, that finished in Novara on Sunday.
The stage was won by Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) with Elia Viviani following Nizzolo home to complete the podium.
A relatively benign ride by the peloton in towards the finish saw key moments in the final 4km well marshaled by the likes of Bert-Jan Lindeman, Max Walscheid and Victor Campenaerts.
In the finale, Merlier opened up his sprint with around 200m to go and impressively managed to hold off the fast-finishing Nizzolo who was just unable to come around him at the line.
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Tim Merlier won a sprint finish for the second stage of the event. By AFP Sunday 9 May 2021, 6:15 PM May 9th 2021, 6:15 PM 3,362 Views 7 Comments
Action from the second stage at the Giro d'Italia.
Image: Claudio Benedetto
Image: Claudio Benedetto
BELGIAN TIM MERLIER won a sprint finish for the second stage of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday with Italy’s Filippo Ganna holding the leader’s pink jersey.
Ireland’s Dan Martin finished in 64th while Nicolas Roche came home in 95th place. That leaves Roche and Martin in 46th and 106th place respectively in the general classification ahead of the third stage.
Merlier sprints to stage two victory at Giro d'Italia Sunday, 9 May 2021
Belgium’s Tim Merlier earned the first sprint victory of the 2021 Giro d'Italia after producing the fastest finish on stage two in Novara.
The 179-kilometre stage from Stupinigi to Novara began with riders holding a minute’s silence on the 10th anniversary of the death of Wouter Weylandt, who died after a crash at the race.
An early breakaway group were allowed to move clear by the peloton, with Italy’s Filippo Tagliani and Umberto Marengo spending most of the stage in the lead.
The duo were caught within the final 20km as sprinters’ teams began eyeing the finish in Novara.
2021 Giro d'Italia preview: Examining the three-week race for pink A Set the default text size A Set large text size
Replay A Set the default text size A Set large text size
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 edition out of its usual spot in early May and transplanted it into October, the Giro d’Italia is back in its rightful place as the opening grand tour of the season, and the 104th edition of the race is sure to torment every one of its 184 participants.
With a relatively straightforward 8.6km time trial to kick things off in Turin, riders will then face a hellish next three weeks that will include seven mountain stages, featuring six summit finishes, and eight hilly stages, including gravel sections that will be sure to spice up the second week of the race, plus five clear-cut chances for the sprinters, with the race to be bookended by races against the clock.
Nibali is another rider who has had a less than ideal preparation for the first grand tour of the year. The Trek-Segafredo leader crashed during training two weeks ago and broke his wrist.
“The Shark” has not let that slow him down and he has been fitted with a wrist brace to allow him to continue training for his home race.
“A carbon brace, developed by Fabrizio Borra, will accompany me in my recovery path. I don’t want to leave any stone unturned to be at Giro d’Italia,” Nibali wrote on social media earlier this month.
“We are doing our best. But we need patience, lucidity and caution before any decision. Every day until May 8 will be precious.”
Updated / Friday, 26 Feb 2021
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Bennett won his second stage of the opening UCI WorldTour event of the season
Sam Bennett doubled up with a second win at the UAE Tour as he took stage six in a sprint ahead of Elia Viviani and Pascal Ackermann.
As expected, the 165km stage from Deira Island came down to a bunch sprint on the Palm Jumeirah, where Bennett was expertly guided into place by Deceuninck-Quick-Step team-mate Michael Morkov, making it look easy as his rivals could only scrap for second place.
Jumbo-Visma's David Dekker looked best placed to challenge Bennett but faded to fourth as Viviani and Ackermann came around him.
Sam Bennett sprints to another stage win at UAE Tour
The 30-year-old is aiming for a hat-trick of victories in tomorrow’s seventh and final stage. By AFP Friday 26 Feb 2021, 1:06 PM Feb 26th 2021, 1:06 PM 4,475 Views 3 Comments
It wasn't even close! Dominant finish from Bennett, to claim his second stage win of #UAETour 2021 @AbuDhabiSC@DubaiSCpic.twitter.com/lK8Ib2W3S5— UAE Tour Official (@uae_tour) February 26, 2021
IRELAND’S SAM BENNETT won the penultimate stage six of cycling’s UAE Tour today, confirming his early season form to claim his second victory at the Palm Jumeirah Island finish with ease.
After Thursday’s possibly decisive 20km uphill finish, the overall race leader Tadej Pogacar was able to take it easy on the run around Dubai, leaving the glory to the sprint specialists while he maintained his advantage finishing with the main pack.