At Basso’s home, Bais takes back the blue jersey
It could only be a celebration on the day of arrival in Cassano Magnago. Just a few hundred meters from where our Ivan Basso lives and just a few meters from where our Ivan Basso was born and raised. Yes, home. And when you get home, it happens that people open their doors to come down to the street and welcome you, despite the rain that even today did not spare the group by starting to fall from the first ramps of the Simplon to the finish line.
There is good news, for us at EOLO KOMETA: and the good news is colored blue, even if the sky in Cassano is gray. The blue of the climbers’ jersey that is back on the shoulders of Davide Bais, who had lost it yesterday to cede it to Pinot: Davide, in a fantastic Giro d’Italia with the jewel of the victory at Campo Imperatore, was very good at going on the attack with the group of more than thirty riders that broke away from the peloton after 15 kilometers of racing. First alone, then joined by Mirco Maestri and his brother Mattia, Davide resisted Armirail’s attack to pass first on the Simplonpass and take back the jersey. Yes, he looked great on the podium in Cassano Magnago and the people’s applause was all for him.
The return of the group to Italy then saw the attack of four riders (Ballerini, Oldani, Rex and Skujiņš), and behind them a small group with our Maestri. The last kilometers saw the return of a small chasing group with Nico Denz repeating his success of two days ago ahead of Derek Gee and Alberto Bettiol. Tenth came a very good Mirco Maestri: that’s right, another top 10 for EOLO KOMETA. Armirail is the new pink jersey of this Giro.
Stefano Zanatta: “Today there was a fast start and after a few kilometers a breakaway went away with 18 riders including Davide, then another 10 riders joined and in this second small group there was none of us. Then we tried to close with Maestri and Mattia, the group let it go and they were great to get back on the breakaway group. For us, the best man for this finish was Mirco and we tried to give him a hand to make a good impression and he hit 10th place. Davide did well to sprint to the top of Simplon to retake the climbers’ jersey, so we made a good impression again today. The Giro continues, hopefully it will stop raining.”
Mirco Maestri: “I missed the last sprint. Too bad, because I tried and because I really wanted to make a good impression. I still have some pain in my ribs after the fall of the first week, I struggle a bit to breathe but the legs are there and the sensations are good. Today the course was suitable for my characteristics and then it was coming to Ivan’s place, a 10th place came and…we take it.”
Davide Bais: “I dedicate this blue jersey to Arturo Gravalos and his family, I think he also gave me a push to win it back: I tried to give my best because we wanted to take back the jersey. I saw that at the beginning Pinot tried to attack but the group was going to catch him, so I went on the attack and the goal was clear. In the coming days I will try to go on the attack to get more points and take it as far as I can.”
