The European champion, the Italian Giacomo Nizzolo, withdrew from the Tour of Italy on Sunday before the start of the 15th stage in Grado (northeast), two days after his success in Verona. “I struggled on the climbs which really took their toll,” explained Nizzolo, who finished stage 14 at Monte Zoncolan, 37:44 behind the winner, Lorenzo Fortunato. “So we decided it was better for me to stop and recover to look ahead,” added the Qhubeka team rider. Nizzolo, 32, finally won a stage in his eighth participation in the Giro, after having accumulated eleven second places. “Everyone knows how much I love this race and what it means to me. Finally winning a stage is a dream come true and the raw emotion at the finish line in Verona showed it. I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life, ”said Nizzolo.
After 14 stages, the Italian occupied, behind the Slovakian Peter Sagan, second place in the points classification, which he has won twice in the past.
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