Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar Team) has won Stage 6 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia, the 180km long Torre del Lago Puccini (Viareggio)-Rapolano Terme. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) and Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) finished second and third respectively.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) retains the Maglia Rosa.
Five years after the last victory by Movistar Team at the Giro d’Italia when the Spanish outfit claimed the overall title with Richard Carapaz, Sanchez was a surprise winner on stage 6 to Rapolano Terme that used some of the gravelled roads of the famous one-day classic Strade Bianche. The 24 year old from Oviedo in the Asturias bettered double world champion Julian Alaphilippe and the reigning Australian national champion Luke Plapp who had been virtually in the Maglia Rosa earlier on as Tadej Pogacar was happy to let the lead go momentarily. But Plapp’s former team Ineos Grenadiers chased hard without bridging the gap so the Slovenian will ride the individual time trial from Foligno to Perugia in a pink skinsuit.
Speaking in the press conference, Sanchez said: “It was a really hard day. All the teams wanted to be at the front because there was a good chance for the breakaway, so it’s been a really tough and crazy beginning of stage but we waited for our chance. In the hour of racing, some guy finally and I closed the gap, but I knew it would be hard with the sterrato (gravel) and the hilly roads, so I tried to be the strongest or the fastest one at the end. Since I was in the main breakaway, I only waited for the other riders to get tired. Julian Alaphilippe attacked on the last climb, I tried to follow him, it was really hard. I knew I’m fast but this was Alaphilippe, so I was obviously a bit nervous to fight with him, however I remained confident that I had my chance as well and luckily I could win. Julian is an idol of mine. To be in the breakaway with him was an honour, but to beat him is something special that I’ll always remember. It’s crazy to win my first Grand Tour stage in the first week of the Giro”.
The Maglia Rosa Tadej Pogacar said: “I didn’t mind to lose the Maglia Rosa today. Luke Plapp in pink, that was fine with me. We just rode tempo for ourselves, my team did a good job, but Ineos went really hard on gravel sectors, so the gap went down quickly. Never in my cycling career I have considered riding a time trial in a conservative way. They’re crazy fast and you need to be really good. I have not done any TT since the world championship last year, It’s a new challenge, but I’m ready and I’ll full gas tomorrow”.
Stage 6 Brief Results
- Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar Team) – 180 km in 4h01’08”, av speed 44.788 km/h
- Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t.
- Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) at 1″
General Classification After Stage 6
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) at 46″
- Daniel Felipe Martinez (Bora – Hansgrohe) at 47″
 Jerseys
The leader jerseys of the Giro d’Italia are produced and designed by CASTELLI.
- Maglia Rosa, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by Enel –Â Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
- Maglia Ciclamino, leader of the Points Classification, in collaboration with Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale and ITA Italian Trade Agency – Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
- Maglia Azzurra, leader of the Gran Premio della Montagna (KOM), sponsored by Banca Mediolanum –Â Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
- Maglia Bianca, Best Young Rider, born after 01/01/1999, sponsored by Eataly – Cian Uijtdebroeks (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
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