2023-05-11 07:56:00
This fifth stage is so typical of the Giro. Italian roads can be extremely slippery. The Tour of Italy always offers climatic surprises. Often you have snow or hellish heat. Here, there are huge bad weather. Watch out for Thursday’s stage, which takes the same type of road.
We did not see exactly how Remco Evenepoel fell at the start of the stage but it is linked to the arrival of a dog on the course. It’s nothing special, but there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it. The second fall, on the other hand, is 100% his fault. I think he is aware of that. He looks the wrong way. The rule is: you turn right, you look right. He looked to the left. We can speak of a lack of experience but I see it more as a lack of attention. The stage was tough, he was relieved to have reached three kilometres.
Two falls is a lot
It’s always annoying that he fell so early in the Giro because even if it’s not serious, wounds and bruises can become troublesome. We will see how he reacts on Thursday in a dangerous stage and in the passes on Friday. He’s not the first favorite to fall in a big round. It’s part of the job. You fall, you get up. You don’t have time to procrastinate when you’re a cyclist. What bothers me more is that he fell twice in one day. Mentally, it’s not easy.
Remco Evenepoel after his two falls: “I’m in great pain, we’ll see”
He fell at the Vuelta in 2022 and that didn’t stop him from winning in the end. He has to go through it because at the Tour de France, it’s even much worse. The first week, nobody brakes, it’s a war of centimeters and it rubs all the time. The Tour is more challenging than the Giro and the Vuelta. Remco is smart to learn there.
Pick up the rose to drop it
I had however found him very attentive on the previous stages. He was in front, well surrounded by his team. He imposed his presence in the peloton with his team. We could feel him on the positive wave of his superb time. He will make the difference again on Sunday in the long time trial. I can’t imagine any other scenario.
He should recover the pink jersey on Sunday but I wouldn’t be surprised if he let a breakaway take it from him to be more relaxed. Given the difficulty of the third week, the daily hour saved by avoiding all the protocols of the leader could weigh at the end of the Giro. But whether he has pink or not, he is the favorite and will carry the brunt of the race.
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