Niccolò Bonifazio had 5 victories in the last three and a half seasons, but was struggling to find a team that believed in him, that provided support, that can best drive it in the finish.
In Stage 2 of the 2023 Giro di Sicilia, the 29-year-old of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty was phenomenal navigating the intricate Vittoria finale, but he had to do it practically alone by jumping from one wheel to another with his extraordinary bike handling technical skills. The forcing by Eolo-Kometa in the last two kilometers displaced and isolated many sprinters, to the point that the favorites Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani and Matteo Malucelli weren’t even able to sprint. Not Bonifazio, however, who stamped himself first at the wheel of the Eolo-Kometa train and then at that of the UAE Team Emirates, to then place his imperious sprint that no one was able to resist.
His qualities were not discovered just today – he has 21 victories in his career, including a prestigious stage at Paris-Nice. It would be nice to see him a little more often in front to battle with the best. In 2023 he had to squire first for Biniam Girmay, then for Gerben Thijssen. Today in Vittoria was practically the first time he managed to make a clean sprint for himself. It was nearly 200 kilometers practically flat. The controlled breakaway was neutralized 7 k from the finish thanks to the Eolo Kometa team.
“Finally an opportunity for me too!” he said immediately upon arrival. And it’s a pity that it only arrived in late April, because with such a leg you can do well on different stages.”
« I’m very happy to win my first victory for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. Personally, it’s been almost 300 days since my last win, so I’m extra happy! I worked hard last winter to start this season in top shape. Until now, I had sacrificed a lot for the team. I received my chance on this Tour of Sicily, which I prepared meticulously with my trainer Christophe Prémont. I did several sprint training sessions and rode many kilometers behind a scooter. I was determined to seize my chance, especially since we discovered during the analysis of the course that the last straight line was on the Via Bonifazio, which was probably a good omen.»
« Our sports director Dimitri Claeys knows perfectly well the qualities of our team in this race. He left nothing to chance and made sure that the team exploited all its potential to win. Our climbers and cyclo-cross specialists from Circus-ReUz-Technord protected me perfectly from the start. I used my experience in the final to choose my position. Everything went perfectly, I had very good legs and I wanted to avoid being boxed in. So I launched quite early. I’m looking forward to building on this momentum and seeing what my good condition can bring. Tomorrow we have another uphill sprint opportunity and the next day we will be putting all our efforts for Kobe Goossens, Louis Meintjes and Simone Petilli! »
Tomorrow the stage that takes the riders from Enna to Termini Imerese is a bit more difficult for pure sprinters, because the last kilometer climbs constantly at 5%.
Tour of Sicily – Stage 2 result:
- Niccolo Bonifazio 4:28:37
- Vincenzo Albanese ST
- Blake Quick ST
Current GC:
1.Finn Fisher-Black
2.Vincenzo Albanese +0:06
3.Diego Ulissi +0:14
