"Many teams are already desperate" - Bruyneel breaks down Giro d'italia tactics after Movistar's failed stage bid

Stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia delivered one of those finales that perfectly sum up modern cycling: strategy, attrition, opportunism and cold blood. In the latest episode of the Lance Armstrong YouTube channel “The Move”, Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin broke down a chaotic day that ended with Alec Segaert’s win after Movistar Team’s immense, ultimately fruitless, effort.

Bruyneel highlighted the Belgian’s tactical nous in the decisive attack. For the former sports director, the move was both well prepared and well executed: “It was a perfectly planned attack.” The timing was crucial. Segaert jumped with three kilometres to go, right after a corner, catching out every team trying to organise the chase.

Martin even compared the move to the classics of offensive racing: “He must have read Greg LeMond’s book. Attack in the corners.” The analyst explained how the group hesitated too long while Visma controlled the front only to protect Jonas Vingegaard, with no real interest in closing the move.

For Bruyneel, the victory is even more impressive given the Belgian’s build. He noted that Segaert is around 79 kilos yet still managed to hold Movistar’s ferocious pace on the late climbs. “He had to push huge power to stay there,” he said. By his estimates, the Belgian likely had to exceed 450 watts on the ascents to avoid losing contact.

The former sports director also pointed out this is not the first time Segaert has tried a long-range attack. He had already attempted similar moves at Gent-Wevelgem and other classics. The difference this time was that no one could close the gap.

Much of the analysis focused on Movistar Team’s tactics. The Spanish squad made the race hard from far out to drop the pure sprinters. The plan worked partially: riders like Jonathan Milan, Groenewegen and Lund were distanced. However, Bruyneel explained the problem came afterwards.

“The danger with these strategies is that you burn a lot of riders far from the finish,” he said. Movistar did reduce the group, but then lacked enough bodies to control the late attacks. That was when Segaert struck, seizing the exact moment.

Martin stressed that several teams indirectly helped Movistar’s work. INEOS trusted Ethan Vernon and EF chased options with Madis Mikkels. All this created a perfect scenario for a reduced finish, but without the control needed to prevent a surprise attack.

Bruyneel repeated that Visma never intended to chase in earnest. The Dutch team only wanted to keep Vingegaard safe. “Their job was to keep Jonas out of trouble, not to catch Segaert,” he stated. He also recalled the curious situation of Victor Campenaerts, Segaert’s teammate and friend, pulling the group while the attacker widened his lead.

Another major talking point was Toon Aerts. The Belgian finished second and produced one of the day’s most striking stories. Martin noted that until very recently he was almost exclusively a cyclocross specialist. Bruyneel explained his full switch to the road only came in 2025 and praised his ride: “It’s proof that it’s never too late.”

The former sports director also discussed the sanction Aerts received years ago for accidental contamination. He said it was never a substance clearly linked to performance enhancement, though the rider still served a two-year suspension.

Beyond the stage win, Bruyneel also underlined the excellent mood inside Bahrain Victorious at this Giro. Leader Alfonso Lualio collected more bonus seconds and Ben O’Connor also took time at the line. For the Belgian, this kind of dynamic can make a psychological difference in a Grand Tour.

“Success is contagious in a Grand Tour,” he said. According to Bruyneel, suffering feels completely different when a team senses everything is going right and results follow. “It’s very different to suffer for a reason than to suffer just because you have to hold the pace of other teams,” he added.

Martin then pointed out a curious stat in the GC: four Australians sit inside the Giro’s top 10. Ben O’Connor, Jai Hindley, Michael Storer and Chris Harper keep Australian hopes alive in the Italian race.

There was also time to discuss some odd tactical moves during the day. Bruyneel was surprised that teams like Lidl-Trek or Soudal Quick-Step didn’t send more riders to help their distanced sprinters. Milan’s case was especially striking, as he lost contact but still seemed to have a chance to get back.

“I would’ve called everyone back to try to salvage the sprint,” the Belgian said. Martin added that the pace was so high that even riders chased by teammates barely managed to cut the gap.

Looking ahead to stage 13, both Bruyneel and Martin agreed the route will again trigger a highly complex tactical battle. The day features a punchy final climb, with ramps over 10%, before a fast descent to the finish.

Bruyneel believes the sprinters will have no chance and singled out two prime favourites: Jonathan Narváez and Giulio Ciccone. In his view, both have the ideal profile to survive the last climb and finish it off from a reduced group.

However, he also thinks a breakaway has a realistic shot. “It will all depend on how much UAE and Lidl-Trek want to ride,” he explained. According to Bruyneel, policing a move over so many kilometres would demand a huge effort from domestiques.

Martin even floated the idea that Narváez might try to slip straight into the right break. Bruyneel doubted others would cooperate with him: “Who’s going to want to work with Narváez right now?”.

The conversation ended with an interesting reflection on the second half of the Giro. Bruyneel thinks many teams are growing desperate as chances dry up. With few truly accessible stages still ahead, tactics could become far more aggressive and unpredictable. “We’re going to see moves we might not understand, but that’s because many teams are already desperate to win a stage,” he concluded.