Edoardo Affini almost brings in Giro win once again: "I knew I wasn't the fastest up front and had to give it a try"

Edoardo Affini is better known as a time-trialist, however today at the Giro d'Italia he put his powerhouse skills to another use as he set off on the day's breakaway and was a crucial part of it's performance. The Jumbo-Visma rider was close to the win, however for the third time in two years he finished second at his home race.

“I knew I wasn't the fastest up front and had to give it a try. I tried to wait as long as possible, and then at 250 meters before the end I went full throttle until the finish," Affini said at the end of the day. Together with stage winner Dries de Bondt, Magnus Cort Nielsen and Davide Gabburo, the Italian rider put himself in a position where it was possible to fight for the stage win. The gap to the peloton was short but perfectly managed, and Affini tried to surprise against the strong competition he faced in the spring. 

However, it wasn't to be, as the Belgian rider outsprinted the rest and Affini was left to take another runner-up spot. “Only Dries was faster, chapeau. He and Magnus Cort were the fastest guys up front anyway. I had to try it this way and in the end I'm half a wheel short. It is a shame for our team that we are second again. But we are always in the leading group and we create chances to win. That is important for now," he added.

Although tricky, the final time-trial should still provide a final opportunity for Affini to fight for a stage win, however it is a tough blow to have been so close to it and come out second less than a wheel behind the winner on the day.