Italian Cyclist Dominates Grueling Shinshu Iida Stage

IIDA CITY, Nagano Prefecture – Simone Laccani of JCL TEAM UKYO (Italy) emerged victorious in the fifth stage of the Tour of japan, a challenging race held in Iida City. Laccani’s triumph came after a fierce battle with Mark Stewart of Solution Tech ViniFantini (UK) in the final two laps of the 120.9-kilometer course. The victory propelled Laccani to the overall lead, taking the leader jersey from his teammate.

The Decisive Sprint

The race culminated in a thrilling showdown between Laccani and Stewart.After Laccani launched an attack on the eighth lap, only Stewart could match his pace, setting the stage for a head-to-head battle in the final circuit. The main group, reduced to approximately 20 riders, trailed by more than 30 seconds, leaving Laccani and Stewart to contest the stage win.

laccani ultimately prevailed, crossing the finish line ahead of Stewart. His victory not only secured the stage win but also placed him in the overall lead, with a nine-second advantage over his teammate, Alessandro Fanchell, who finished with the main group 47 seconds behind.

Japanese Riders in the Mix

Among the japanese competitors, Hashikawa Takeshi of Aisan Kogyo Racing Team achieved the highest ranking, finishing seventh. Kaneko Sohei of the Japan national Team maintained his ninth-place position overall. Yamada Takumi of shimano Racing, a local rider from Iida City, also finished within the main group.

A Grueling Course

The Shinshu Iida Stage,the first race of the second half of the Tour of japan,presented a formidable challenge to the riders. The 120.9km course consisted of 10 laps through mountainous terrain overlooking Iida City in southern Nagano Prefecture.The course featured steep climbs with a maximum gradient of 10% and technical descents, making it a true test of endurance and skill.

the highest point of the course was a first-grade mountain, adding significance to the mountain prize competition and influencing the overall standings. Despite heavy rain the previous night, the weather in Iida City remained clear, even though humid, setting the stage for a war of attrition.

Race Dynamics

Following the official start, a breakaway group of three riders – Tegushbayar Bassaikan (Rujay Insurance), Francisco Mansebo (Matrix Powertag), and Liam Walsh (Seacache X Body wrap) – established an early lead. The main group, controlled by the leader team JCL TEAM UKYO, maintained a gap of approximately three minutes.

Bassaikan led the Mountain Awards, which were contested on the third and fifth laps, overtaking Nicolo Garippo (JCL TEAM UKYO) to become the virtual leader in the mountain prize competition.

on the sixth lap, a chasing group of four riders, including Davide Bardaccini (Solution Tech ViniFantini), Kane Richards, Carter Betrus (both from Loujay Insurance), and Miguel Heideman (Lembé Rado Net), joined the leading trio. The presence of Bardaccini and Heideman, who were within one minute of the overall lead, prompted the main group to increase their pace, ultimately absorbing all breakaway riders by lap seven.

Laccani’s Viewpoint

laccani shared his thoughts on the race and his team’s strategy:

We controlled the team from the beginning, and gradually narrowed the gap between the runaway group and the second half. We attacked at our own discretion and Stewart caught up, and the manager told us that we had a teammate in the leader jersey in the group behind us so we didn’t have to pull ahead, so we did as directed.we set up a long sprint to win. I think my role was fulfilled today and I was able to win the leader jersey.

Simone Laccani, JCL TEAM UKYO

Looking ahead to the next stage, Laccani expressed both confidence and concern:

I’m good at long climbs on Mt. Fuji tomorrow,but I’m worried about the heat. There are still some difficult stages left, but I want to do my best for myself and the team and wear my leader jersey all the way to Tokyo.

Simone laccani, JCL TEAM UKYO

Pise, ville mondialement connue pour sa tour penchée, a été le théâtre de la 10e étape du Giro d’Italia. Une étape marquée par un contre-la-montre individuel de 28,6 km où le Néerlandais Darn Hole (Ridl Trek) a créé la surprise.Isaac Deltoro, quant à lui, a lutté contre les éléments pour conserver son maglia rosa.

Un contre-la-montre piégeux

Le 20 mai, après avoir progressé vers le nord depuis l’Albanie, le Giro a abordé sa 10e étape. Ce premier jour de la deuxième semaine était un contre-la-montre individuel de 28,6 km, partant de Lucca, ville natale de la légende italienne Mario Cipollini. Le parcours,en apparence simple avec une route plate et des lignes droites,se terminait au pied de la célèbre tour penchée de Pise.

La météo a joué un rôle crucial. Une pluie matinale avait rendu la chaussée glissante, causant des chutes lors des reconnaissances, notamment celle de Primož Roglič (Red Bull Bola Hansgrohe).Bien que la route ait séché pour les premiers coureurs, le temps s’est dégradé par la suite, affectant les favoris partis en deuxième partie.

Hole déjoue les pronostics

Ethan Hayter (Soudal Swift-Step), champion britannique sur route, a réalisé un temps de référence en début de course, avec 32 minutes et 40 secondes. Cependant,Darn Hole,champion néerlandais du contre-la-montre,a surpassé cette performance. Du haut de ses 198 cm, Hole a réalisé un temps de 32 minutes et 30 secondes, devançant Hayter de 10 secondes.

Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), l’un des favoris, a réalisé un excellent premier intermédiaire, mais a ensuite perdu du temps, terminant finalement à six secondes de Hole. Un incident avec Mikkel frølich Honoré (EF Education-easypost) pourrait avoir perturbé son rythme.

Its hard to beleive. My heart is full of joy. I was aiming for a victory on this stage and I was in good shape. But I never thought I could win. The top teams in the overall lineup may have been affected by the rain, but they were able to surpass Tarling, who also ran in dry conditions. I’m really surprised by the outcome, a déclaré Hole après sa victoire.

Deltoro résiste à la pluie

Alors que la pluie redoublait, les coureurs du top 10 se sont élancés. Primož Roglič, malgré sa chute récente, a terminé 17e de l’étape, à 1 minute et 14 secondes de Hole. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) a perdu du temps suite à une chute, tandis que Simon Yates (Visma lease a Bike) a réalisé une bonne performance, remontant à la 4e place du classement général.

Isaac Deltoro (UAE Team Emirates), porteur du maglia rosa, a lutté contre les conditions difficiles. Il a terminé 36e de l’étape, à 2 minutes et 22 secondes de Hole, mais a réussi à conserver son avance sur Juan Ayuso, son coéquipier, et à garder le maillot rose.

Conséquences au classement général

Bien qu’il n’y ait pas eu de changement dans le top 3 du classement général, roglič a gagné plusieurs places, remontant à la 5e position. L’équipe UAE Team Emirates place désormais quatre coureurs dans le top 10, consolidant sa position pour la suite du Giro.

Tuscan Terrain Tests Riders in Stage 9

The ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, a grueling test across the “white roads” of tuscany familiar to Strade Bianche competitors, saw Wout van Aalto (Visma Lease a Bike, Belgium) claim a remarkable comeback victory. Isaac Deltoro (UAE Team Emirates XRG, Mexico) finished second, a result that propelled him into the overall lead, making him the first Mexican rider to wear the coveted Maglia Rosa.

Chaos on the Course: Crashes and Mechanicals Shake Up GC Contenders

the challenging terrain took it’s toll on several general classification (GC) contenders. Primoz Roglic (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe, Slovenia) endured a day of misfortune, suffering both a fall and a flat tire, which resulted in a notable loss of time in the overall standings. thomas Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers, Great Britain) also experienced a puncture, further disrupting the race dynamics.

Stage 9: A Detailed Look at the Route

Stage 9 commenced in gubbio, initially featuring relatively flat roads and a single category three climb. Though, the race transformed dramatically in the final 70 kilometers. Riders faced five sectors of unpaved roads, totaling 29.7 kilometers. The stage culminated with a challenging ascent up the cobblestone Santa Caterina Street, leading to the finish line in Piazza Campo, mirroring the finale of the Strade Bianche one-day race.

Early Breakaway and Chasing Tactics

A six-rider breakaway formed early in the stage,including Carden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck,Australia),quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck,Belgium),Milan Fretin (Cofidis,Belgium),Doris Devonto (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale,Belgium),Octopus van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty,Netherlands),and Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step,USA). The peloton, led by Q36.5 Pro Cycling, maintained a controlled pace, seemingly with an eye on positioning Thomas Pidcock, the 2023 Strade Bianche champion, for a potential stage victory.

Key Moments and Turning Points

As the race progressed, Wout van Aalto, supported by Simon Yates (Visma Lease a Bike), spearheaded the chase. Primoz Roglic received assistance from Gianni Moscon (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe). The unpaved sections proved decisive, with the breakaway splintering and the peloton facing numerous challenges.A crash within the peloton, approximately 51.3 kilometers from the finish, caught out Pidcock and Roglic, disrupting their rhythm.

Following the crash, an attack by Isaac Deltoro created a new leading group of seven riders, including Van Aalto and three from Ineos Grenadiers, including Egan Bernal (Colombia). Roglic then suffered a rear wheel puncture, and Pidcock also experienced a flat tire, compounding their difficulties.

The Final Showdown: Van Aalto vs. Deltoro

With approximately 34 kilometers remaining, Matthias Vacek (Czech Republic, Lidl-Trek) launched an attack from the chasing group, eventually joining the leaders.In the final unpaved sector, Deltoro initiated a decisive move, with only Van Aalto able to respond.The stage victory ultimately came down to a battle between Van Aalto and Deltoro on the steep slopes of Santa Caterina Street.

Van Aalto unleashed a powerful sprint in the final corner, surging ahead to claim the stage win in Piazza Campo.

What this victory means is huge. I don’t need to explain how much effort it took to get back to this level. The few months up until this point have been a very long journey. Today’s race was tough, and Isaac (Deltoro)’s performance was amazing. This is where I realized I could compete at the top level in 2018 Stradevianke and won two years later. I’m really happy to be able to win the stage in this gorgeous place.

Wout van Aalto (Visma Lease a Bike, Belgium)

Van Aalto, visibly emotional, celebrated his 50th professional victory and his first Giro stage win with his team and family.

Deltoro Takes the Lead

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek, Italy) finished third, 58 seconds behind van Aalto, while Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates XRG, Spain) finished seventh, 1 minute and 7 seconds back. Isaac Deltoro’s second-place finish was enough to secure the overall lead, giving him a 1 minute and 13 seconds advantage. He became the first Mexican rider to wear the Maglia Rosa.

To be honest, I can’t believe it, and I can’t put my feelings into words well. What I dreamed of as a child has become a reality.I still can’t believe this is a reality.

Isaac deltoro (UAE Team Emirates XRG, Mexico)

Roglic’s Setback

Roglic, along with Pidcock, finished the stage 2 minutes and 22 seconds behind the winner. This resulted in Roglic falling 2 minutes and 25 seconds behind Deltoro in the overall standings and 1 minute and 12 seconds behind Ayuso, placing his GC hopes in jeopardy early in the race.