Nico Denz (Bora – Hansgrohe) has won Stage 14 of the 2023 Giro d’Italia, the 196km long Sierre-Cassano Magnago. Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) finished second and third respectively. Bruno Armirail (Groupama – FDJ) is the new Maglia Rosa.
Stage 14 was another rained-soaked stage and saw Denz take another stage win two days after he broke the ice at Rivoli. The German was part of the maxi-breakaway that took shape in Switerland before the Simplon pass. First at the top, Davide Bais took the Maglia Azzurra back from the shoulders of Thibaut Pinot whose team-mate Bruno Armirail became the leader of the Giro as Geraint Thomas allowed his group to cross the line at Cassano Magnago with an advantage superior to 20 minutes. A leading trio formed of Davide Ballerini, Stefano Oldani and Toms Skujins was close to sprint for the win but they were caught in the last few hundred meters by a small group from which Denz emerged as the winner while Gee took the second place for the third time and Alberto Bettiol rounded out the podium.
Speaking seconds after the finish, stage winner Nico Denz said: “I felt super good today and so I managed to get again into the breakaway. We were lucky to close the gap just inside the final km. I felt very good and when Bettiol launched his sprint I followed him and then I went full gas until the line. It was a very tough day but it ended well for me.
“I don’t know which one of my two victories was harder to realize,” the German rider added. “The first one was crazy. But somehow I dreamt of it and it happened. Now it happened again and I’m still in the clouds. When I crossed the finishing line, I wondered what was happening because I didn’t expect that. I’m here to support GC leaders and I have two stage wins. That was not planned.”
The Maglia Rosa Bruno Armirail said: “I never imagined that I would end up in the Maglia Rosa. I had seen my team-mate Attila Valter with it two years ago. It was something special. But I tried to break away today in search for the stage victory. I have no idea if that will change my career. However, I have to be realistic. I remain a domestique and I’ll again work for Thibaut Pinot. He has a good chance to make the final top 10, I don’t. He also still want to win a stage. Since it’s not a mountain top finish tomorrow, I might still have the Maglia Rosa on the rest day, shall I crest the last climb in the group of the GC favourites. I didn’t know that Jalabert was the last Frenchman in the Maglia Rosa. Maybe now I have to learn some more words in Italian, I don’t know the language even though my girlfriend is Italian, from Pordenone.”
Stage 14 Brief Results:
- Nico Denz (Bora – Hansgrohe) – 196 km in 4h37’30″, average speed 41.946 km/h
- Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) s.t.
- Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 14:
- Bruno Armirail (Groupama – FDJ)
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) at 1’41”
- Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) at 1’43”
Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Enel – Bruno Armirail (Groupama – FDJ)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, sponsored by Agenzia ICE with the brand Madeinitaly.gov.it – Jonathan Milan (Bahrain – Victorious)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, sponsored by Intimissimi Uomo – João Pedro Gonçalves Almeida (UAE Team Emirates)
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