Bart de Clercq started his professional career off with a bang by beating the Giro’s finest on Stage 7.
The Belgian attacked, as the peloton collected the breakaway with 7km to go, and managed to hold on to win on the first mountain top finish of this year’s Giro, going in to Santuario Di Montevergine. His teammates Sebastian Land and Francis de Greef took their chance, before De Clercq, taking advantage of the leaders watching each other. Michele Scarponi launched a late attack and almost spoilt the part for the debutant, but there wasn’t enough road for the Italian. Following close behind were Roman Kreuziger, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and maglia rosa wearer Pieter Weening.
Weening has managed to hold on to the two second lead, which he made on stage 5. The stage’s results helped Contador and Nibali stake their claims on the final victory, with both moving within 30 seconds of Weening.
Unlike previous days, there was a delay of around 30km before the first attack managed to stick. A five man group consisting of Jerome Pineau, Federico Canuti, Giovanni Visconti, Lars Bak and Matteo Montaguti quickly built a lead. With 39km left Canuti had a brief lead over the others, but a fall on one of the descents put an end to that.
With 24km left to go, birthday boy, Johnny Hoogerland. Visconti and Pineau were the first to admit defeat on the last climb and sat up, while the others chased a charging Hoogerland, waiting for the peloton to catch them. Bak was the last of the group to stay out and looked like he might stay away, but it wasn’t to be.
Stage 8 might be a little flatter, but the 216km will still test the legs. The sprinters will have a chance to shine on the road from Sapri to Tropea.
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