©Giro d’Italia

Giro d’Italia: Roglic’s revenge 

Overcome with happiness outside the Colosseum in Rome, Primoz Roglic savored his first victory in the Giro d’Italia, which has a modicum of redemption for the Slovenian, three years after his traumatic loss at the Tour de France. Above all, the leader of the Jumbo-Visma team provided a breathtaking scenario for this 106th edition. He took the victory in the general classification by just fourteen seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas, who was very honorable in defeat. Thomas even acted as a luxury pilot fish on Sunday to help his compatriot Mark Cavendish to a 17th stage victory at the Giro. 

“This success is really special, it will remain etched in my memory until the end of my days,” Roglic happily explained.

For the 33-year-old Slovenian, this Roman triumph has a very special flavor, three years after having lived through a nightmare in the Tour de France when, yellow jersey on his back, he was knocked out of the lead by Tadej Pogacar in a similarly difficult time trial. He cut a tragic figure on the eve of the final Tour stage.

The revenge is all the sweeter since this time the scenario was reversed. He took control in the Giro on Saturday by snatching the pink jersey off Welshman Geraint Thomas on a final uphill time on the daunting Monte Lussari, in front of thousands of ecstatic Slovenian fans.

Roglic’s victory is the crowning achievement in an extraordinary first part of his season. The Slovenian has won all three stage races he has participated in this year, Tirreno-Adriatico, the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and the Giro.

 

The results: 1. Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) ; 2. Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) ; 3. Almeida (UAE Team Emirates)…

Stage won by: Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) ; Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) ; Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) ; Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën) ; Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ; Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) ; Bais (EOLO-Kometa) ; Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) ; Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) ; Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) ; Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) ; Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) ; Rubio (Movistar Team) ; Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) ; McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) ; Almedia (UAE Team Emirates) ; Dainese (Team DSM) ; Zana (Team Jayco AlUla) ; Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) ; Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) ; Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team).

*****

Tour of Norway: Tutlett takes his first big stage race

Taking the lead after his victory in the prologue, Ben Tulett won the Tour of Norway. This is the third victory of his career: the stage and the overall in Norway, and his inaugural success of winning a stage at the International Coppi and Bartali Week in 2022. He succeeds Remco Evenepoel as the overall winner of the Tour of Norway.

The INEOS Grenadiers rider won by 5 seconds ahead of his teammate Magnus Sheffield and 23 over Thibau Nys, who won the 2nd stage on Sunday and took 9th on Monday. That final stage sprint was won by the Norwegian Alexander Kristoff. The 35-year-old sprinter as a result took the 88th victory of his career, and the second this season after a stage in the Volta ao Algarve.

The results: 1. Tulett (INEOS Grenadiers) ; 2. Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) ; 3. Nys (Trek-Segafredo)…

Stage won by: Tulett (INEOS Grenadiers) ; Nys (Trek-Segafredo) ; Kristoff (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team).

 

*****

Races to come: 

31 May – 4 June: Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia Ruta del Sol women, https://www.vueltaandaluciawomen.es/

2 June: Giro dell’Appennino, https://www.uspontedecimo.it/giro-dell-appennino/

4 – 11 June: Criterium du Dauphiné, https://www.criterium-du-dauphine.fr/fr

4 June: Brussels Cycling Classic, https://www.brusselscyclingclassic.be/fr