Jhonatan Narváez only missed 50 m from winning a second stage victory in this Tour of Italy. Starting 7 km from the finish, the Ecuadorian runner from Ineos could not resist the return of the peloton, in the streets of Naples. It was the Dutchman Olav Kooij (Team Visma Lease a Bike) who finished the sprint ahead of Jonathan Milan (Lidl – Trek).
At 22, Kooij achieved his first success on a Grand Tour. But this is already the 33rd victory of his career and the 5th this year. Unlucky since the start of this Giro with the abandonment of Christophe Laporte, the Visma Lease a Bike team has found a smile again.
By passing a big relay for his sprinter Juan Sebastian Molano, ultimately 3rd, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) undoubtedly deprived Jhonatan Narváez of victory. Seeing a pink jersey and leader of his team playing the pilot fish in a sprint is rather rare. But with the Slovenian, we can no longer be surprised by anything…
Alaphilippe persists alone until 7 km from the finish
Second Thursday at Rapolano Terme., Julian Alaphilippe, was again offensive in the final. Under the leadership of the Frenchman, the duo Andrea Pietrobon and Mircro Maestri (Polti Kometa), who left from the 5th km for a remake of the Baracchi Trophy (two-man time trial contested until 1991) were joined at 26 km from the finish by a small group of 5 runners.
Alaphilippe then went out with the young (21 years old) Breton Ewen Costiou (Arkea-B & B Hotels). But the gap never exceeded 25 seconds ahead of a peloton led by the Lidl-Trek runners who worked for their sprinter Jonathan Milan.
If Alaphilippe insisted alone on the Posillipo (3.2 km at 4.4%), the last bump of the day, he saw Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos), winner of the 1st stage, coming back at him like a rocket. 7 km from the finish. The Ecuadorian’s daring move would have deserved a better fate at the finish.
This Monday, the peloton will be entitled to its first day of rest.
