04/05/2024

Giro d'Italia: Jhonatan Narváez outsprints Tadej Pogacar to win stage 1; Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman lose minutes on chaotic day

Jhonatan Narváez won stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia! It was a thrilling opening day of racing in Italy where several GC contenders lost time, there were plenty of attacks and chaos; an attack from Pogacar but ultimately the INEOS Grenadiers rider matched his attack and won in the final sprint.

The first breakaway of the Giro went up the road early on featuring six riders: Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Louis Barré, Filippo Fiorelli, Lilian Calmejane, Nicolas Debeaumarché and Andrea Pietrobon. The group did not pose a threat to the stage win but it did force the peloton to keep a moderate pace throughout the day.

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UAE Team Emirates took control of the peloton throughout the day, having the ultimate favourite for the day. In the ascent to the Colle Maddalena the team began to put in a strong pace which soon began to do some damage. The likes of Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman, podium contenders for the Giro, lost contact with the peloton despite the large peloton.

Lilian Calmejane himself went solo off the front in the ascent and began to lead the race by himself. On the flat section following the climb we had an attack from several riders who moved off the peloton: Nicola Conci, Max Schachmann, Mikkel Honoré, Damiano Caruso, Alex Baudin, Alessandro De Marchi and Giulio Pellizzari.

The group was dangerous and UAE was not being able to control the race. As Calmejane was caught, Conci moved off the front and tried to take advantage of the chaos. He entered the final hilltop in front by himself, as Tadej Pogacar attacked off the front in the peloton.

It was an explosive move, with Jhonatan Narváez and Julian Alaphilippe in the wheel. Alaphilippe then cracked, whilst all escapees but Conci were caught. The catch was made in sight of the summit, where Pogacar accelerated again but was followed by Narvaez. Conci and Max Schachmann were close to the summit.

The German closed the gap in the downhill and the three headed to a sprint. Pogacar had time on his rivals and remained in the head of the group, leading out the sprint first. But Narváez matched him in his explosivity and beat him to the line. Pogacar and Schachmann were second and third, with a few seconds to the main chasing group; and a few minutes to the likes of Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman.