The 2024 Giro d’Italia runs from May 4 to May 26 through the mountains of Italy. The first of three men’s grand tours, the Giro is arguably the most difficult. Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar is making his Tour of Italy debut, and he will be looking to claim the pink jersey over the likes of Geraint Thomas, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Ben O’Connor, and Romain Bardet will look to fend off the Slovenian.

It’s All Pogačar Once Again

Stage Winner: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Tadej Pogačar did it again on Sunday’s Queen Stage at the Giro d’Italia. Pogačar claimed his fourth stage win of the Giro and extended his own lead in the general classification in another brilliant show of strength.

A big breakaway was able to stay away for much of the day, and the veteran Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was the last remaining rider. The 34-year-old Quintana was all alone with under 20km in the stage.

But Pogačar, of course, was on the hunt. With 1 km to go, Pogačar set off on his solo mission to catch Quintana and win the stage. He timed in well, making the pass with 2km to go and quickly gapping Quintana. It was yet another incredible performance from Pogačar, who has continued to dazzle through the first 15 stages of the Tour of Italy.

All told, Pogačar won the stage by 29 seconds over Quintana, who settled for second after a long day out front. Pogačar added almost another three-minute buffer between him and his closest GC rivals. Daniel Martinez (BORA-hansgrohe) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) finished 2:50 back on Pogačar on the day. Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was 2:58 back.

Pogačar lead in the GC has swelled to an almost unbelievable 6:41 over second place Thomas, and 6:56 over third place Martinez. It seems that Pogačar just needs to remain upright during the last week of the Giro and he will claim another grand tour victory.

Pogačar was his usual self after the stage, celebrating the fact that the second rest day of the Giro comes tomorrow. “Drink to that!” he said before taking a swig of hot tea.

Julian Alaphilippe Takes Stunning Victory in Signature Style

Stage Winner: Julian Alaphillippe (Soudal-Quickstep)
Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 16, 2024— Stage 12 turned out to be a lightning-fast stage over a hilly course with 2,200 meters of elevation, leading to some animated racing from the breakaway, chase groups, and even the peloton, where GC riders sat hoping for the race to calm down. But for 193 km, it never really did.

The victory was taken with aggression and style by two-time World Champion Julian Alaphillippe (Soudal-Quickstep). Alaphilippe was part of a huge breakaway battle that started in the Marche region, and at an average of 47 kilometers per hour, it turned out to be one of the top ten fastest stages in Giro history. Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) finished in second, and Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was third after the chase-group sprint in Fano.

This is the Soudal-Quickstep rider’s first win since last year’s Critérium du Dauphiné and his first at a Grand Tour since 2021. The win also completes his Grand Tour stage-win set and adds to his six Tour de France stage victories and one La Vuelta a España win.

Alaphilippe launched the first of many attacks about 138 km from the finish before meeting his breakaway companion Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa). Their effort would hold off the chasers until Alaphilippe attacked the last ascent 11.5 km from the finish.

“I didn’t plan it. I was expecting a big group to be in the breakaway. First, I have to thank my teammates who perfectly controlled the first 60 km. I was focused on being on the front,” said the Frenchman in the post-race interview.

Alaphilippe believed he could win the stage, but made sure to continue working and hold off the chasers. “Until the last kilometer, I had to keep pushing full gas because I hear Narvaez was close behind me,” he said. “It was my dream to win a stage of the Giro.”

While Maestri would have certainly liked to finish behind a champ like Alaphilippe, the chase caught up to him on the last climb, and he went on to finish in 9th place. “He also deserved to win today. He was amazing. We collaborated super well,” said Alaphilippe.

This is how the stage went down. At 140 km to go, Alaphilippe, along with Andrea Piccolo, sparked a decisive move on an uncategorized climb, prompting a group of former stage winners to join in the action. As the breakaway materialized, Alaphilippe initiated another acceleration, reducing the group’s size to just him and Maestri, leaving the peloton behind.

Although the breakaway initially held a substantial advantage, cooperation within the group was scarce, allowing the chasing peloton to gain ground. As the race approached the final climb, Alaphilippe made his move, leaving Maestri behind in pursuit of the stage win.

Jan Hirt (Soudal-QuickStep), who sits in 11th place in the GC, tried to get in the early break, but team Bahrain Victorious, who has rider Antonio Tiberi sitting in 5th in the GC, made sure Hirt wouldn’t get very far.

While Alaphilippe dominated the finale, Narváez showcased his strength by securing second place. Behind them, the GC contenders remained cautious; race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) stayed safe in the peloton alongside Dani Martínez (Bora-hansgrohe), and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers). Bora-hansgrohe did attempt to position Martínez for a potential attack, but it never materialized. With the flat stages ahead and a crucial time trial looming, the focus has shifted to preserving energy and maintaining position in the overall standings.

Jonathan Milan Beats Tim Merlier and Kaden Groves in Messy Sprint Finish

Stage Winner: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

After a bit of whistle-wetting with Stage 10’s summit finish, the sprinters again took the spotlight for Wednesday’s Stage 11.

The 207-kilometre stage that started in Foiano di Valfortore kicked off with a few bumps in the road before the parcours sloped gently downward toward the sea, with the day’s final hundred kilometres offering more or less a flat run into Francavilla al Mare.

A small breakaway built a two-minute-and-forty-second lead heading into the day’s only classified climb, the category three Pietracatella, which pitched up at the stage’s fortieth kilometre. But they were slowly reeled in along the flat Adriatic coastline and fully caught one-hundred-and-thirty kilometres late, with just over thirty-five kilometres to go.

Despite a fruitless late attack from EF Education-EasyPost’s Andrea Piccolo, the peloton stayed together at a blistering pace of well over sixty kilometres per hour (occasionally over seventy).

With 4 kilometres to go to the finish, the course bent a hard ninety degrees, a brief wrench thrown into an otherwise straightforward day. And other than a bit of slowing, the peloton came through the turn unscathed.

Movistar’s Fernando Gaviria launched first with just a few hundred meters to go, but by the time the final metres ticked down, the race came down to Soudal Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier and current and reigning maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek. It marks Milan’s second win in this year’s Giro.

“Our team put me in a really good position,” Merlier said immediately following the stage.“Perfect job from the guys. It’s just a shame that I couldn’t win for them.”

One developing non-racing story to keep an eye on is just how many riders have abandoned due to an illness that is spreading through the peloton. Twenty-one riders have thus far dropped out of the Giro d’Italia, several due to crash-related injuries. However, an inordinate amount of riders have packed it in, citing fevers and viral symptoms.

Just one day after winning Stage 9, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij abandoned with illness during Monday’s rest day. The following day, his team leader, Cian Uijtdebroeks, suffered the same fate. Visma’s main leadout man, Christophe Laporte, crashed out on Stage 4, leaving last year’s world beaters with just four riders left and two weeks still to race.

Stage 10: Pompei to Cusano Mutri, 142 km