So. Close. A thrilling attack from @NarvaezJho is caught agonisingly close to the line 😲 Chapeau Jhonny on a fantastic ride to give us a tremendous finale to week one of the #Giro 🎩
Jhonatan Narváez almost hits gold with late attack in Napoli: "I actually thought it was already in, but now I'm standing here empty-handed"
CyclingSunday, 12 May 2024 at 20:30
Jhonatan Narváez won the first stage of the Giro d'Italia and he has been on absolutely incredible form. The INEOS Grenadiers attacked today's finale in Napoli and only failed to take a second win because of team work from some of the strongest riders in the peloton.
“I actually thought it was already in, but now I'm standing here empty-handed. We did great in the first stage and today I came very close. It was a disappointment, but this is part of cycling," Narváez admitted in words to Eurosport. “The moment I arrived was the last chance to get away. It wasn't too early. I was fine, but that's the beauty of cycling. Sometimes you get good results, sometimes bad, it teaches you to fight. The most important thing is that I showed that the preparation was good to get to this point.”
Narvaéz strategy was very simple and clear. He made a move with a kilometer to the summit of the final small hill. The peloton was still large as the climbs were not hard, but they were hard enough to drop some sprinters and deorganize the sprinter teams. This gave valuable time for him to keep the gap. The Ecuadorian champion looked set for victory as he flew through the final kilometers; and only in the finishing straight did this change. Only a few meters of the stage remained until he was overtaken by some of the sprinters. He was 11th at the finish line.
“But fun is also an important factor in my racing style. The best thing is to sometimes do something different than most riders, more how the fans would like to race," Narvaéz adds. "The most important thing is to enjoy and keep trying.”
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