"I could never have imagined that I would take over the pink jersey" - Bruno Armirail hopes to keep Maglia Rosa until the rest day
Cycling
The Maglia Rosa changes it's wearer after stage 14, and it's new wearer couldn't possibly be more unlikely. It's Bruno Armirail, who's been riding very aggressively so far in this Giro d'Italia, and will now try to defend a 1:41 advantage over Geraint Thomas in stage 15.
Afterwards, there was mainly disbelief at Armirail. "The goal this morning was to get into the breakaway. However, I could never have imagined that I would take over the pink jersey."
However, such a scenario was discussed within the team. “We were talking about the chance that a group could get more than 15 minutes,” continues Armirail. "I was there, so I could get the pink."
Armirail also spoke at the press conference as a wearer of pink. "Two years ago I saw my then teammate Atilla Valter with the pink jersey. That was something very special."
"I have no idea if wearing the pink jersey will change anything in the continuation of my career," Armirail continues. "I have to be realistic. I will remain a domestique and will go back to work for Pinot. He has a good chance of a top ten finish, I don't."
Armirail sees opportunities to keep the pink until the rest day. "Because tomorrow's stage will not finish uphill, I have a good chance to defend the pink," said successor of Laurent Jalabert, the previous French wearer of the pink.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Bonne nuit, Monsieur le maillot rose 💖
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