A day at the Giro d’Italia that began in Pompeii ended with a surprising victory for Valentin Paret-Peintre, a young French rider who idolized his compatriot Romain Bardet. Paret-Peintre won the stage with a solo effort, with Bardet finishing in second place. The stage saw a gutsy attack from Jan Tratnik, but he was caught by the duo of Paret-Peintre and Bardet. This victory was Paret-Peintre’s first as a professional rider, following in the footsteps of his brother Aurelien who won a stage in a previous edition of the Giro. The stage was the third summit finish of the race in southern Italy.
Despite missing out on the stage win, Bardet’s second place moved him back into the top 10 of the general classification. He had been hoping to win a stage in all three Grand Tours but came up just short in this stage. Andrea Bagioli of Italy finished in fourth place, while Paret-Peintre’s brother celebrated his victory by leading the next group of riders home in fifth place. It was the 15th win of the season for the Decathlon AG2A La Mondiale team, showing their strength in the race.
Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, the current race leader, kept his lead intact despite finishing over three minutes behind the stage winner. He maintained a 2:40 lead over Colombian Dani Martinez in the general classification, with Geraint Thomas and Ben O’Connor following closely behind. Cian Uijtdebroeks of Belgium retained the white jersey for the best young rider but lost some time on the climb, dropping back to fifth place. Bardet’s strong finish moved him up to seventh place in the overall standings.
The race saw a predominantly uneventful day until the final climb, where Paret-Peintre showed his strength and determination in securing his first professional victory. The stage finish at Bocca di Selva provided a challenging conclusion to the day’s racing. The Giro d’Italia offers a variety of terrain and stages for the riders, testing their abilities and providing opportunities for unexpected victories. The race can be watched live on streaming platforms like discovery+ for fans to follow the action throughout the season. Overall, the day’s stage showcased the talent and determination of the riders in the peloton as they tackled the demanding course.
