Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s Steven Kruijswijk leads Bianchi in the leader’s jersey placing 2nd in Giro d’Italia’s stage-14.
Bianchi and the Giro d’Italia’s Maglia Rosa: a duo that characterized unforgettable moments in the history of cycling, got back together today, Saturday May 21st, thanks to Steven Kruijswijk. The LottoNL-Jumbo Dutchman was second in the 14th stage of the Giro d’Italia, wearing the Maglia Rosa after 210 km from Alpago to Corvara (Northern Italy). Kruijswijk got to the finish line in the wake of Colombian Esteban Chaves, while preceding the Austrian Georg Preidler.
Bianchi’s long-time tradition with the Maglia Rosa reflourished in the queen mountain stage, on the Dolomites, where Kruijswijk lived up to the impressive level of performance he has showed throughout the 99th Giro d’Italia. He has been in action on three Bianchi bikes: Specialissima, Oltre XR.2 and time-trial Aquila CV. It’s been ten years since Bianchi last enjoyed the sweetness of the Maglia Rosa: a well-deserved reward for years of huge work in the direction of technological development on its bikes, that are proving to make a difference on every terrain at the Giro.
In the GC Steven Kruijswijk has a 41-second advantage on the Italian Vincenzo Nibali and 1:32 on the 14th stage-winner Esteban Chaves.
Tomorrow Kruijswijk will try to defend his pink jersey in the demanding 10,8 km mountain ITT from Castelrotto to the Alpe di Siusi, and will do it with an exclusive version of his ultralight Specialissima. For the occasion, the innovative Bianchi bike will be painted black to reduce the weight even further, for a mountain test that could prove key for the Giro d’Italia overall outcome.
Bianchi’s Specialissima frame changed the game in the ultralight frame category thanks to the special tuning process of MSC’s patented Countervail® integrated vibration cancelling system for cycling, developed for NASA by Materials Sciences Corporation. The new Bianchi’s Countervail® ultralight carbon formula is specifically tuned to smooth out the inherent nervousness of ultralight frames. Excellent traction and stability at high speeds makes Bianchi’s Specialissima ideal tackling different types of surfaces during fast accelerations and super high-speed corners when maximum power and control are essential.
