Andrea Vendrame: “It is a really special feeling”
“The goal was to be in the breakaway; I had marked this stage since the start of the Giro, and we had discussed it in the past few days with the sports directors. I was in the morning breakaway, so the goal was achieved, but we got caught. I was able to break away again later with a good group, and I managed to pace myself throughout the day. At 30 kilometers from the finish, I attacked on the descent. It was a little crazy, but they call me “Joker” for a reason. Arturas (Kasputis) in the car encouraged me and gave me the right information to lead me to victory. It feels good; we have won two stages here, and we are still well-placed in the general classification with Ben (O’Connor) in fourth place. Tomorrow, the race passes near home, and with today’s victory, it is a really special feeling.”
Arturas Kasputis : “He was very comfortable on the descent”
“Andrea knew the course well; he was very comfortable on the descent and was able to quickly create a gap. I told him not to overdo it on the flat so he would arrive fresh for the final climb. As soon as he had a one-minute lead, we could manage by frequently updating him on the gaps and guiding him to victory. It’s incredible for the team.”
Key figure: 2
Like the team’s second victory in this edition of the Giro d’Italia. A historic first, as the team had never achieved such a performance in the Giro.
