2018 Giro d’Italia: Stage 7 News, Notes and Quotes

After a set back in its GC ambitions yesterday, BORA – hansgrohe gave the right answer today, as Sam Bennett takes an impressive sprint victory in Praia a Mare. This time BORA – hansgrohe’s sprinter Sam Bennett got his timing right, when coming from E. Viviani’s wheel on the last 50 meters.

Sam Bennett Takes First Ever Grand Tour Stage Win

After Rudi Selig´s withdrawal from the Corsa Rosa due to illness, teammate Christoph Pfingsten assumed his place as the last lead-out man for Sam Bennett. For today´s sprint stage the team focused again on their Irish sprinter Bennett.

The race came alive as the peloton headed into the city of Praia a Mare. BORA – hansgrohe started to form for their leader Sam Bennett. The pace was high, but BORA – hansgrohe showed a great effort. On the final metres Sam stayed on the wheels of Quick-Step Floor rider E. Viviani and waited until he made the final move and took his first Grand Tour Victory. It is first Giro d´Italia win after having placed once second and no less than five times third at the Corsa Rosa.

“It’s a big relief! I was close so many times at the Giro, but today to get the timing right was key,” said Bennett after the stage. “It’s not easy to pass Viviani, but I knew my time would come, even there might be some people who thought it will never come. A big thanks to my team BORA – hansgrohe, all the guys support me really well all the time. Today my plan was to take the wheel from Viviani instead of doing all the lead out for him like the first stages. But I needed patience because I didn’t want to be early again, and then a was closed at some point, but in the end the timing was perfect and everybody could see how fast I am.“

“Today is a really special day for us, Sam came to us as a Continental rider and grew, as the team, over the years,” added Christian Pömer, sport director. “He was quite often so close to a victory but today was his day. He and the team worked pretty well together and did a great job. In the finale everything was perfect and Sam had the right timing and took his first Grand Tour victory.”

Yates & Mitchelton-SCOTT Retain Pink Jersey For Another Day

Mitchelton-SCOTT successfully piloted race leader Simon Yates through a sprint finish on stage seven of the Giro d’Italia to retain the pink leader’s jersey for another day.

A fast finale meant positioning was key, but the likes of Sam Bewley and Roman Kreuziger ensured their leaders in Yates and Esteban Chaves were positioned well to cross the line safely on bunch time.

“I was a bit nervous,” said Yates after the stage. “It was a big moment for me to wear the pink jersey, one of the biggest of my career, but it was a special day and I really enjoyed it.”

“It’s my first time leading a grand tour, but with the breakaway going away quite easy it was a bit more relaxed and a nice day.”

“I know nothing of the next two stages except what is written in the book, but our directors know the climbs very well as do a couple of our riders, so for me it’s not a problem.”

“It’s a little more difficult to attack now I am in the jersey, and I need to see if I have the same legs. The first climb nerves are out of the way. Sometimes the first climb doesn’t go as well as expected, but then as the race goes on riders become much better so we will have to wait and see how our rivals are feeling.”

Bonifazio Sprints to 3rd While Pozzovivo Holds 4th in GC

Bahrain-Merida’s strategy was very simple for today’s stage – to watch out for Domenico Pozzovivo and keep him safe in every moment and give a chance to Niccolò Bonifazio for his sprint fireworks.

Bonifazio’s chances were threatened by a front wheel puncture at 17km. Domen Novak immediately gave him his wheel and Giovanni Visconti brought him on a fast lane to Manuele Boaro, then Boaro to Matej Mohorič who had a challenging mission to  get Bonifazio to the very front. Finally, Bonifazio found himself at the front with many of the sprinters at the 10 km to the final meters and used all his energy to have a really hard fight with Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) and Sam Bennet (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Domenico Pozzovivo had a safe stage and he kept the same position and and time delay as after the 6th stage behind Maglia Rosa, Simon Yates (MItchelton-Scott) Maglia Rosa leader Simon Yates.

Niccolò Bonifazio said after the race; “I had bad luck with 15 km to go, when I got a contact with another rider and I broke my front wheel. It was not easy to get back to the peloton. Thanks to my teammates that helped me to be there in front positions for the final. Maybe I made a mistake in waiting and I had to sprint earlier.”

 

The Numbers

Sam Bennett claimed the fifth stage win for Irish riders at the Giro. The first one was Seamus Elliott in 1960; the last one was Stephen Roche in 1987 in stage 22 (the conclusive ITT in Saint-Vincent). Interestingly, Roche took the Maglia Rosa for good in 1987 at Sappada where the Giro returns this year for the first time, on May 20, for the 15th stage.

Before taking his first-ever Grand Tour victory, Bennett recorded a second place last year on stage 13 to Tortona and five third places: stage 5 to Messina, stage 7 to Alberolbello, and stage 12 to Reggio Emilia last year; stage 2 to Tel Aviv and stage 3 to Eilat this year.

It’s the 10th stage podium for Elia Viviani (3 wins, 4 second places, 3 third places) but the first podium at the Giro d’Italia for Niccolo Bonifazio.