The 2023 Giro d’Italia started in a beautiful setting. Our compatriot Laurens Huys was allowed to pave the way for the rest of the peloton on an old railway bed on the coast of the Abruzzo. South African time trial champion Stefan de Bod sat in the hot seat for a long time, until former world champion Mads Pedersen nibbled a few seconds off his time.
Then it was the turn of the men from the Emirates. Brandon McNulty took over from Pedersen, but had to leave his Jay Vine a bit later. His buddy at UAE was two seconds faster. In between, Laurens De Plus (INEOS) and Ilan Van Wilder (Quick-Step), lieutenants of Geraint Thomas and Remco Evenepoel, recorded great times.
Gradually the shadow favorites trickled in to the overall victory. Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS) and João Almeida (UAE) set a new benchmark by diving under 22 minutes. And then a cannon shot rang out…
Remco Evenepoel shot like a rocket from the starting blocks and blew everyone away at the first intermediate point. Even Filippo Ganna, sculpted on his bicycle, could not follow the marching table of the Belgian champion. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) was completely blown away.
The assembled competition hoped that Evenepoel had gone too fast and would come to a halt on the final slope to Ortona. They came out cheated. Ganna ended at 22 seconds, Roglic was presented with a hefty bill of no less than 43 seconds. Is this a first step for Remco towards a pink jersey in Rome?
