Ackermann wins, with a 'photo finish', the marathon stage of this cursed Giro
Tao Geoghegan Hart is taken by ambulance after a domino effect fall. Óscar Rodríguez also retires after doing a straight line and crashing into a house. Alessandro Covi loses control of his bike and takes the leader Geraint Thomas ahead, who drags his Ineos teammates and Primoz Roglic. This Giro, gone through water and undermined by Covid, is cursed. The accumulation of misfortunes overwhelms in the equator pass of the Corsa Rosa. The winner of the round will treasure enormous merit, will be a winner by natural selection.
The Giro does not give away anything. Revenues are achieved with a major waste of energy, as the German Pascal Ackermann did this Wednesday, who scored a stage dominated by cold and finished in Tortona in the sprint. There were 219 kilometers (the marathon course of this edition) with traps, falls, punctures and constant scares in which the adventurers on duty (Veljko Stojnic, Laurenz Rex, Thomas Champion, Diego Pablo Sevilla, Filippo Magli, Aleksander Konychev) challenged the peloton. The last one to be neutralized by Rex, just five kilometers from the finish line. The peloton, with stiff circles under their eyes, advanced and broke into two groups after the last three kilometers, the best sprinters of the test were ahead. Ackermann was the fastest. The German from the UAE followed in the wake of Mark Cavendish to pass the British and Danish Mads Pedersen in the last 50 meters. His momentum was enough to prevail over the Italian Alessandro Milan, who advanced with a bullet from ninth place and who finished second after going to the photo finish.
A satisfying day for Ackermann and disastrous for Tao Geoghegan Hart (winner of the 2020 Giro), who had to leave when he was in one of the best moments of his sporting career. Also another negative day for Soudal Quick-Step, who lost four members to the relentless Covid: Cattaneo, Cerny, Hirt and Vervaeke. The group led by Patrickl Lefevere announced that Remco Evenepoel will not modify his calendar due to the withdrawal of the Giro. His intention to attend the Tour of Spain and do without the Tour de France. Goodbye to the duel with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in the Grande Boucle.