"This was the fight I expected yesterday" - Andreas Leknessund shows great heart as he battles to hold onto his Maglia Rosa
Cycling
A brave performance from the Maglia Rosa Andreas Leknessund saw the Team DSM hold onto his overall race lead at the Giro d'Italia as the GC battle ignited for the first time in this year's race.
“It is a great relief. It is very nice to keep the jersey," the 23-year-old Norwegian revealed in his post-stage interview after successfully holding onto the Maglia Rosa by just 8 seconds from Remco Evenepoel. "It was a good fight, I had to go very deep. This was the fight I expected yesterday and was hoping for then. The fact that we now went full throttle and I really had to fight for it, is very nice.”
After being the only rider to initially follow Primoz Roglic's attack, Leknessund eventually lost the Slovenian's wheel but managed to pace himself to the finish well enough to keep the race lead for another day. "I've done everything in my power. I decided with sixty kilometers to go, when the final started, that I just had to give everything today," he said. "The full one hundred percent? I have done that."
With tomorrow's stage being a time-trial and with only an 8 second advantage over Evenepoel, the chances of Leknessund taking the Maglia Rosa into Monday's rest day are slim. Nevertheless, today is a day the Norwegian enjoyed. “I am very happy and proud of how I rode and of the team. We did very well in the final. They kept me in good position which kept me up front all day. This was a very nice day."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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When you find out you're still the leader of the @giroditalia 😲😃 #KeepChallenging #Giro
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