The young Alessandro Covi arrived alone at Marmolada, that historic port where Pantani became the Pirate, with a smile. He made history, clenched his fists and achieved a victory at only 22 years in the place where the greats wrote the legend of him.
However, the spotlights pointed elsewhere. A few minutes after the triumph of the Piedmontese, a huge Jay Hindley destroyed a crestfallen Carapaz, and, with the help of the great gregarious Kamna, sentenced this Giro d’Italia. The Australian, with a ferocious and contained attack, came eighth at the end of the Fedaia pass, took a minute and a half out of the South American and dressed in pink just before the last stage of the Italian tour, this Sunday’s time trial.
Barring a catastrophe, the complete Bora rider will win his first Grand Tour in Verona.
Mikel Landa had to attack in the Marmolada. It was his moment, but the Basque’s legs did not respond. Fatigue was visible in his eyes; the Bahrain leader suffered in Fedaia before Hindley’s attack, to which Carapaz responded at first and to which he gave in shortly after. Landism deflates in the Dolomists, just in the place where he should have left an illusion. The Spaniard will be third and will complete the podium except for an ecatombe in Verona.
For his part, the revelation of this Giro, the man who wore pink for eight stages, Juanpe López kept the white jersey, which crowns him as the best young man in the race.
