Slowly but surely. In full maelstrom of precociousness in cycling, Filippo Zana (24 years old) is still a promise whose potential is being uncovered little by little, the old-fashioned way. The one from Thiene showed his enormous talent in 2021, where he was on the podium of a powerful Tour of the Future in which only Tobias Halland Johannessen and Carlos Rodríguez They were able to outdo him. Last year he raised the bar with his victory at the Italian Nationals, while this Thursday, in the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia, his career took on a new dimension.
Zana, Italy’s great hope for the big races, along with Samuele Battistella, He signed his first victory in a Grand Tour at the summit finish in Val di Zoldo, beating a whole Thibaut Pinot to the sprint (ninth triumph of a fugue in this edition). A tangible sample of the enormous performance that the Jayco AlUla runner is marking in this Corsa Pink, since on more than one occasion he has selected the favorite groups in favor of his partner Dunbar and he has also been very present in the breaks.
“I still can’t believe it. I have to thank the team because they gave me this opportunity. I arrived at the Giro at 100%. I played my cards right in the end, it was a opportunity of those that are presented rarely in life and I took advantage of it. Winning with the Tricolor is something special”, summed up an exultant Zana at the end of the stage. It is not for less. You don’t win a stage in the Giro every day.
Thomas: “I felt in control”
For his part, Geraint Thomas explained his feelings at a press conference after a day in which he slightly increased his overall lead over the second classified. Before I had Almeida to 18″, now you have to roglic at 29″: “It’s a nice day. I spend time in Almeida and Primoz I did not get off the hook. I felt pretty good, always under control, but Primoz was obviously tough. It was not easy”.
Thomas, who for now is the only one of the three cyclists best placed to win the Giro who He hasn’t made a single attack (beyond his acceleration to catch Almeida in Monte Bondone), he appeals to consistency to win the race: “It’s good to have doubled the advantage over Almeida, but Primoz had a bad day the other day, Almeida today. I just want to be consistent until the end.” For now, seamless. He is two days away from making history.
