Tadej Pogacar decided to keep powder dry on explosive Giro day: "in the end you risk more danger than you can gain"

Tadej Pogacar virtually sealed his GC win at the Giro d'Italia in the first week, baring disaster. He has since raced conservatively and today was another instance; as in the short and steep climbs he stayed in the peloton and arrived safely at the finish.

“The plan for today was to let the early breakaway go. Then we had to check if there were any dangerous names and then ride at a pace we wanted until the finish," Pogacar told Eurosport after the finish. "It was even better that Bahrain Victorious came to set that pace in our place, so we didn't have to waste any extra energy. It was a very good day for us. Of course it was tough, but I enjoyed it. We have made some people happy again, by giving them space, I think. But to be clear: Alaphilippe deserves the victory very much. He rode strong today.”

In reality it was not an overly difficult day, but a tense one. The crosswinds and run-up to the final ascent were very fast moments on the day where there were some big speeds on the flat roads. On the final ascent he wasn't the only one, but it was evident that the pink jersey was riding within his limits.

“It could have been possible to grab some time there, especially because there was also a tricky descent. But in the end you risk more danger than you can gain," he argued. "It was better to keep that control and save your energy for the weekend. That's going to be tough enough.” He remains 2:40 minutes ahead of Daniel Martínez, with the Top10 unchanged.

Tomorrow is a flat day where he has to keep it safe, whilst Saturday's time-trial is the next important day for the overall classification: “I'm not really looking forward to the time trial. That doesn't suit me very well. It is very flat there and I often don't do great. I'm going to take my chance and give it my full one hundred percent.”

Instead, he eyes the mountains: “I'm more looking forward to the next day, on Sunday. The stage to Livigno is a truly monstrous stage. We're going to see big differences there. Especially when the weather plays its role. It will be one of the toughest rides we have ever done, looking at the distance and elevation gain. I feel ready, the team is ready too. And last time I proved that I have good legs the day after the time trial.”