BarcelonaAn Australian will win the Giro d’Italia for the first time. Jai Hindley (Bora Hansgrohe) took advantage of the Giro’s queen stage to catch her pink sweater of leader to the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (INEOS-Grenadiers) at the top of the Marmolada (Passo Fedaia), in a stage won by the Italian Alessandro Covi (UAE Emirates). Basque Mikel Landa has certified that he will finish the race in third place on the podium. The penultimate stage has been epic, both for Covi’s solo attack and for Hindley’s show of strength, which in 2020 was just seconds away from winning the Giro, when he lost it on the last day in hands of the British Tao Geoghegan Hart. Now the thorn has been removed.
After much respect, Carapaz and Hindley could no longer hide. The penultimate stage, in the Dolomites, was very hard, with three special category ports. And in fact, the two favorites, who arrived just three seconds apart in the overall standings, have waited until the last summit to give it their all. Carapaz, champion of the Giro in 2019 and favorite for the final victory, attacked first, but Hindley overtook him with a very hard and steady pace. The Ecuadorian, who had previously stated that this stage was ideal for him, has surrendered and sunk in La Marmolada, after 168 km of a stage with a start in Belluno. He first tried to follow the Perth cyclist’s constant pedaling, but failed. And when a great champion collapses, it impresses. The Ecuadorian has been getting smaller in the distance, and has lost more than a minute against a Hindley well accompanied by the German Lennard Kamna, in a good strategy of the Bora team.
In front of him, however, a young Piedmontese man was already crying with emotion. Alessandro Covi, 23, was the other name of the day. He was already part of a breakaway that left the big group in the first port, a group where there was, of course, the great animator of the race, the Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel. Covi left them to embark on an adventure that seemed to have few options, but he conquered the Pordoi alone, the so-called “Coppi peak” in honor of one of the best cyclists of all time, and the Marmolada after. In the end, Covi took just 32 seconds out of Slovenian Domen Novak (Bahrain), who chased him without luck. Also Italian Giulio Ciccone came in 37 seconds, just ahead of Catalan Antonio Pedrero in 1.36 minutes. Ciccone, in fact, had won the stage of the Aosta Valley, also in the Alps, ahead of Terrassa, who has shown a great level throughout the race.
And from behind, Hindley’s attack 3.4 km from the summit has served to leave Carapaz and Landa planted. The Australian took 1.28 from Carapaz to become the virtual winner of the Giro. Landa has suffered a lot all day, but has defended third place. Hindley will therefore be able to touch the sky this Sunday in Verona, in the final time trial of 17.4 km.
