Escaping from a 25-man front group that was off the front from the 55.3km mark, Stefano Oldani of the Alepecin-Fenix team claimed his first pro victory in a superb manner at Genova to win Stage 12 of the 2022 Giro d’Italia. Oldani bested his last two breakaway companions, Lorenzo Rota and Gijs Leemreize, at the line. This is the first pro victory for Stefano Oldani. None of the three breakaway riders had won a pro race before.
Speaking in the press conference, Oldani, said: “With Lorenzo Rota, we often joke and we told each other to cooperate and we’d see at the end who’d be the strongest. I’ve tried to think the least possible before the final sprint and it worked out. Our plan was to not make the same mistake as in Naples when Mathieu [van der Poel] was alone at the front. At the end of the day, we were the only team with three riders in the lead group. Obviously, I was working for Mathieu, bringing him bottles and gels. I accompanied the move and we got a gap, then it went as it went. Had we remained all the escapees together, a lot of riders would have watched Mathieu. He hugged me strongly after the race. It’s fantastic to learn from a great champion like him. Winning here confirms that Milan-Sanremo is a race I can win in the future with getting stronger because I can hold on quite well on the climbs. It’s definitely the race of my dreams.”
There was no change in the Top 12 of the overall ranking, with Juan Pedro Lopez wearing the Maglia Rosa for ninth running day.
The Maglia Rosa, Lopez, said: “Stefano Oldani got very good results when we raced together in the Fundacion Contador. I had a lot of fun with him. The groundwork was good with us and he takes advantage of it today. I take it day by day. Every day I feel more tired. But I also enjoy it more and more every day. Sometimes today my teammates asked me if I needed water or gel. I didn’t want to say yes because it meant they had to go and grab stuff at the team car but it’s part of the responsibility of being a leader to do it. The Maglia Rosa doesn’t change anything in my life. I’m the same person as three years ago and I’ll be the same next year, trying to enjoy my life with a smile on my face.”
2022 Giro d’Italia: Stage 12 Brief Results
- Stefano Oldani (Alpecin-Fenix) – 204km in 4h’26’47″, average speed 45.880 km/h
- Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) s.t.
- Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo-Visma) at 2”
General Classification After Stage 12
- Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Trek-Segafredo)
- Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) at 12″
- Joao Pedro Almeida Gonçalves (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.
Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Enel – Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Trek-Segafredo)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, dedicated to ‘Made in Italy’ – Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Diego Rosa (Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, sponsored by Intimissimi Uomo – Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Trek-Segafredo) – worn by Joao Pedro Almeida Gonçalves (UAE Team Emirates)
Tomorrow’s Stage – Stage 13, SANREMO-CUNEO, 150KM
After tackling one single climb, the Colle di Nava, in the first part of the route, the stage takes a long ride through the Cuneo plain. On the way up the Colle di Nava, the route passes through numerous well-lit tunnels. As soon as the stage hits the lowlands, the main obstacles will be ones typically found in urban areas. The home straight is on a slight incline.
The final kilometers are on wide, straight, and well-paved urban roads, with a few roundabouts along the route. At the entrance of the old town, the riders will ride on flagstone for 800 meters, before taking in the last km. The home straight has an average 2.5% gradient.
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