McNulty, the seventh to debut his record in grand tours at the Giro

Two slopes have agitated more than Apennines and Dolomites. One more example that the will is everything. It is true that, after all, we did not see changes in the general, but heThe favorites moved slightly on a small climb near Bergamo to give a minimum of hope for the third week. The show can still save this Giro d’Italia. Joao Almeida and Primoz Roglic showed their credentials, Geraint Thomas remains solid and Bruno Armirail’s seams showed, with almost half a minute lost in just over 3km. His leadership is anecdotal. The escape was imposed for the eighth time in this Corsa Pink, with a Brandon McNulty (25 years) who opened his box of triumphs in great tours. Deserved prize for the one from Phoenix, who beat in the final sprint Ben Healy and Marco Frigo after a beautiful battle.

On the sidelines of the start, in the vicinity of Milan, the sun finally prevailed over the rain to give the runners some respite. A few kilometers away, a breakaway of about fifteen runners was formed, which included names of a very high level: Healy, Vincenzo Albanese, Bauke Mollema, Brandon McNulty, and Davide Ballerini. At first he was not present Einer Rubio, but his teammate José Joaquín Rojas dropped from the breakaway to lead the Colombian to the leading group. No team from the ‘roosters’ wanted to harden the race, no one had the intention of proposing, so the income of the escapees immediately skyrocketed until seven minutes. With Rubio at just over 11, the Groupama FDJ was forced to work to safeguard Armirail’s pink. Pinot, who had a good chance of victory on a course like today’s, had to start shooting.

There was no doubt that, once again, victory would be in the hands of an escape in which Sparks flew between Healy and Rubio. Irish and Colombian, apart from the possible prize of victory, decided to get fully involved in the battle for the maglia azzurra, so that each of the four summits of the tour resulted in a one-on-one between them. In the first, Valico di Valcava, they reached contact lightly shoulder to shoulder, although it didn’t get older. After the EF Education man bagged those valuable 40 points (1st category) and the following 18 in Selvino (2nd), the Movistar man was faster to crown Miragolo San Salvatore (2nd), where They exchanged a sporty greeting. Hairs to the sea We’ll see what happens in the third week, but they can be tough enemies for the still leader, Davide Bais.

The last ascent arrived, a Roncola Alta that was crowned about 29 km from the finish line. On the first ramps, several of the runners who were most covered during the escape revealed their cards. Frigo and McNulty opened up, Einer chased and Healy was bluffing. The Irishman left the Colombian behind, reached the leading duo with great ease and removed their stickers when and how he wanted. Everything seemed resolved, but McNulty did not give up his efforts and gave chase on the descent. Everything was left in a final one-on-one between the two, to which Frigo signed up at the last minute, which was resolved in a sprint after a small slope before the finish line in which Healy could not let go of McNulty’s wheel. Victory, finally, for the American, who became the seventh rider to debut his record in the grand tours in this Giro, along with Milan, Paret-Peintre, Healy, Bais, Denz and Rubio.

Almeida and Roglic, even without squeezing themselves, showed a little more than the rest on the last slope and cut the group with great ease. Van Wilder, Thomas, Barguil, Dunbar, Caruso and Leknessund were able to hold on to their wheel, while Buitrago, Kämna, Pinot and company came within two seconds. Armirail, not without suffering, will leave next Tuesday with the pink jersey. Seeing is believing.

General ranking

after cyclist	Equipment	Time
1 Brandon McNulty	UAD	5:13:39
2 Ben Healy	EFE	+00:00
3 Marco Frigo	IPT	+00:00
4 Bauke Mollema	TFS	+01:51
5 Einer Rubio	MOV	+01:51
6 simone velasco	AST	+02:26
7 Andrea Pasqualon	TBV	+02:26
8 Laurens Huys	ICW	+03:10
9 Vincenzo Albanese	OK	+04:13
10 François Bidard	COF	+04:13

after cyclist	Equipment	Time
1 Bruno Armirail	GFC	61:38:06
2 Geraint Thomas	IGD	+01:08
3 Cousin Roglic	TJV	+01:10
4 Joao Almeida	UAD	+01:30
5 Andreas Leknessund	DSM	+01:50
6 Damiano Caruso	TBV	+02:36
7 Lennard Kaemna	BOH	+03:02
8 Edward Dunbar	JAY	+03:40
9 Thymen Arensmann	IGD	+03:55
10 Laurens de Plus	IGD	+04:18