"You have to seize them with both hands" - Afonso Eulálio continues Giro GC mission with a bright future in mind

Afonso Eulálio's adventure in the lead of the Giro d'Italia is over but the Portuguese climber remains focused on finishing high on the GC. A Top10 is all but assured, whilst the new Bahrain - Victorious leade wants the experience for future Grand Tour tilts.

Eulálio benefited from a breakaway on stage 5 to jump into the lead of the Corsa Rosa. After Lidl-Trek received no help, the peloton allowed the front riders to gain multiple minutes, which the Portuguese took full advantage of to lead t he race all the way into stage 14 as the race entered the Alps.

On the Valle d'Aosta he lost it to Jonas Vingegaard, but minimized losses and remains second in the overall classification; as well as leading the youth classification ahead of Giulio Pelizzari.

“We will certainly keep fighting for a good overall classification. When you get these kinds of opportunities—after all, I am currently in second place—you have to seize them with both hands," Eulálio said to CyclingPro.net this morning in Bellinzona.

"I am going to fight for it, and I also want to learn a lot from this for the coming years. So it is not just about fighting for the general classification, but also about the learning process.”

The 24-year old finds himself in a position he never expected to be in. Antonio Tiberi and Lenny Martínez decided to focus on the Tour de France; his designated leader Santiago Buitrago crashed out of the race; and he found himself being supported by Damiano Caruso - a veteran at the Giro and former podium finisher.

All the stars aligned for his own debut as a GC contender in a three-week race, something he has taken up fully and will take for further attempts in the future. As a strong rider, and thus far consistent in this Giro, he could aim for similar results in other top races.

Throughout these weeks, he has been taking up a lot of knowledge from a position of responsibility. “Mainly how to pace my races. Normally, I never think about saving energy that much. I just race, waste a lot of energy, and ride in service of my teammates.”