“Not my finest hour...” - James Shaw laughs off viral Giro d’Italia bottle disaster as British rider looks to upset the apple cart

James Shaw has taken the viral bottle mishap from Stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia firmly in his stride after the EF Education-EasyPost rider became one of the unexpected talking points of the race’s opening day in Bulgaria.

During the calm early phase of Friday’s opening stage into Burgas, television cameras captured Shaw missing not one, not two, but three consecutive bottle handoffs from soigneurs in the feed zone, with the clip quickly spreading across cycling social media.

The moment rapidly became one of the most widely shared clips from the Giro opener, with even EF Education-EasyPost themselves joking about the incident online afterwards.

Speaking before Stage 2 in conversation with TNT Sports, Shaw laughed off the now-viral moment. “Lots of people have sent me the video of me dropping the bottles, which was obviously not my finest hour,” Shaw admitted.

The British rider then added another joke at his own expense. “I don’t know what was worse, that or the fact they said I was from Derby.”

Despite the unwanted viral fame from Stage 1, Shaw arrived at the start of Saturday’s stage far more interested in the racing opportunities potentially opening up later in the day around Veliko Tarnovo.

The second stage of the Giro features a much more complicated and unpredictable finale than the straightforward sprint into Burgas, with repeated climbs, uphill drags and technical sections likely to create a far more aggressive race dynamic.

Shaw suggested the conditions could even encourage teams to gamble earlier than expected rather than simply setting up another bunch finish. “Opportunities don’t come every day, and you’ve got to take them when you can, notice them when they’re there,” Shaw explained. “There are a few riders hoping to have their moment but for sure we’re going to try and upset the apple cart a little bit.”

The EF rider also pointed toward the wet conditions forecast around the finish as another factor which could influence how the stage is raced after the crash-marred opening day. “We’re told it’s wet at the finish so I don’t think they’re going to want to take risks on day two, which favours the breakaway,” Shaw said.

Shaw also identified several riders and teams he believes could benefit if the race becomes more selective or tactical than expected. “I think NSN have a good chance, riding for Corbin Strong, Ethan Vernon and Jake Stewart,” he explained. “It’s a good gamble to go in the breakaway.”

After unintentionally going viral for all the wrong reasons on Stage 1, Shaw now appears eager to ensure the next Giro headlines involving his name come from the racing itself.