Valle d´Aosta starts with a third place of Antonio Puppio in the prologue against the clock

56º Giro Ciclístico Valle d´Aosta
Prologue: Aosta-Aosta (2.7 km ITT)

With a final time of 3:18, Italian Antonio Puppio finished third this Tuesday in the time trial of the demanding Giro del Valle d´Aosta. The rider of the Kometa Cycling Team, the first of the formation to take part in the race, displayed a great performance on a course that suited his characteristics very well, a track of strength and power with two long straights.

Puppio was one second behind the Danish Jacob Hindsgaul, winner and first leader of the race after pedalling at an average speed of over 49.3 km/h. The time trial, however, needed the judges to face a review of several times by proving that some error had occurred in his shot. After this, Puppio occupies the same position in the provisional general standings.

With all the mountain that is about to come this commitment against the evening time trial was a mere step towards establishing a first general classification. Puppio, on his terrain, was at his level, the same because he hung up the bronze in the recent national championships of the discipline U23. “I have had very good feelings and I am very satisfied and very happy to start this second part of the season with a podium that also gives me a lot of morale. It was a very fast and simple prologue. I am very confident that I can do very well these days. I am sure that in the next stages I will give everything for my team mates for the next days of the race”, he explains.

Stefano Oldani and Juan Pedro López, with times of 3:23 and 3:27 respectively, were the next riders of the Kometa Cycling Team in the classification of this prologue. Oldani finished 13th, while Lopez did the same in 30th. Michel Ries, in his return to competition with the Madrid team, signed a time of 3:37 (73rd). Samuele Rubino, meanwhile, 3:40 (97th).

It is not the race of the Valley d´Aosta an allied race with the truces and already this Wednesday, in the frame of its first stage, will take place a first day of high mountain that, in addition, will be disputed entirely in French soil. There will be 126 kilometres between Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise and Saint-Gervais-Mont Blanc. In between, the ascents of Cormet de Roselend (km 43.5), Col des Saises (km 81.6) and Le Bettex (km 117.4).

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)