To date, the Giro d’Italia has been largely optimistic for Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) as he appears to have rediscovered a few of his greatest kind, however stage 16 was a difficult day for the Colombian.
Ineos positioned a rider within the early break in Josh Tarling, however the Welshman subsequently crashed out of the race, Bernal’s second misplaced teammate after Brandon Rivera. Then, a crash for co-leader Thymen Arensman noticed him wrestle with knee ache within the finale.
Bernal himself crashed too, and was dropped from the GC group when Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) drew out a small choice on the ultimate climb. Nonetheless, the Colombian saved pushing arduous, and got here previous a number of riders to complete eleventh on the stage.
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“That was a tough day,” had been Bernal’s first phrases on the end, not figuring out the place he’d completed or the place he was on GC.
Because it turned out, his refusal to relent within the finale noticed him experience previous chief Isaac del Toro (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG) within the finale, limiting his losses to Richard Carapaz (EF Training-EasyPost) and Yates to lower than a minute and a half.
Because of his experience, and the variety of riders who dropped out of the highest 10 on stage 16, Bernal moved to sixth general, 3:23 off the race lead.
Although he is up placings-wise, he solely shaved 15 seconds off his deficit to the maglia rosa. He was dropped by fairly a number of rivals, however the Colombian was clear that he was not giving up the hope of going for one thing extra on this race.
“As we speak, so much modified on the GC with simply sooner or later of excessive mountains, and there is three extra to go. I feel that tomorrow with the Mortirolo, that is not going to be a straightforward day both, after which there are two brutal days after, so actually I nonetheless consider,” he stated.
Bernal and Ineos Grenadiers have taken an aggressive strategy on this race to this point, and while they nonetheless wish to climb the standings, they’re hoping to do this with extra of the identical, relatively than racing extra conservatively, or worrying about what occurred on Tuesday.
“The thought is to maintain attacking, preserve attempting, and by no means hand over,” Bernal stated. “I have not given up for 5 years, I am not going to surrender after sooner or later.”
One blow to Bernal’s ambitions, nevertheless, is the lack of not simply Tarling – a key participant for the early components of levels, and organising assaults – but in addition an harm for Arensman. The pair got here to this race as co-leaders, and the Dutch rider was within the prime 10 till Tuesday, when he misplaced 7:14 after scuffling with the results of a crash.
Dropping a card to play on the GC isn’t essentially an enormous downside, and Ineos had been anticipating the street to decide anyway, however a knee harm for Arensman may restrict how a lot he will help Bernal within the mountains.
“There was just a little crash. I feel there was loads of time to brake, however some man simply did not brake and went into the again of me and I landed totally on my knee. The entire stage I used to be in ache,” Arensman advised Eurosport on the end.
He had caught with Bernal for a while after the crash, however in the end was cowed by knee ache.
“I feel it was simply on adrenaline, however then in the long run I could not chew away the ache any extra, and proper now my knee is simply hurting,” he stated. “However it’s what it’s. I attempted to combat to the end and tried to remain near do one thing for Egan, however only one rider that does not actually brake and… effectively, it’s what it’s now.”
Aside from Arensman, Bernal can look to the likes of Lucas Hamilton and Jonathan Castroviejo as his climbing domestiques within the mountainous days to return.
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