Vincenzo Albanese smiles on the podium of the Giro di Sicilia
Third place for Albanese in the Giro di Sicilia, after a strong performance in the queen stage of the race. Vincenzo held the attacks and resisted in the chasing group after the climbs, to gain a bonus at the finish line in Giarre and consolidate his place on the podium.
The last day, which included the ascent of Etna, saw a brave Erik Fetter take part in a breakaway of 6 riders that reached a 5-minute advantage and allowed him to pass Floresta in the lead. However, the favourites moved in behind to fight for the overall and also to fight for the stage win.
It was the positions on the finish that decided the final third place of the Giro di Sicilia. On a very hard day, the race broke into a thousand groups after the ascent of Etna. But Albanese’s tenacity and effort kept him always in the leading groups, even as virtual leader for some moments. He could not follow the winning attack of Lutsenko (Astana), who went solo in Scorciavacca and won both the stage and the overall. There was still the fight for the podium.
Dosing his strength to perfection, holding with the leader Fisher-Black and taking advantage of the work of his UAE team, Albanese sprint on the final meters to win the sprint for third place, releasing the New Zealander, gaining 4 seconds and getting 2 more for the cut of the group in which he was riding. Thanks to his consistency, with second place in the first and second stages, as well as fifth place yesterday, he was able to achieve a meritorious final podium. Moreover, the regularity jersey perfectly defines the enormous Giro di Sicilia that Albanese has completed.
Vincenzo Albanese: “It was a very hard last stage. We tried to be good at the start and not to lose the race. I think it was a really hard day for me, but I tried to give everything because I wanted to get a great position. In the end, third in the stage and third overall, we didn’t win but if you told me a month ago that I was going to get this result I would have signed it, I’m really happy”.
Stefano Zanatta: “We tried to keep the podium with Albanese, and also the regularity jersey. We tried to stay in the breakaway with Erik and we managed to stay ahead of him until the middle part of the stage. On the climb to Etna, Alba was really good, staying in the main group, and he went ahead on the descent to hold on with Lutsenko and Caruso, with the idea of being able to get to the hardest part of the stage with options. Third place in the stage and in the overall was a result that we didn’t really expect at the start, demonstrating Albanese’s level. And it reinforces the desire to continue supporting him in future competitions. The team has been very good”.
