After a late crash and subsequent splits had a big impact on the GC, stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia was a day of winners and losers, and Visma-Lease a Bike’s Simon Yates emerged as one of many winners.
Having made it into the proper aspect of the splits after the crash at 23km, Yates finished in a group 48 seconds ahead of GC rivals, together with Juan Ayuso (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) and Primož Roglič (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), with different riders even additional again.
That meant that the British rider moved into second general, 1:20 down on chief Isaac del Toro (UAE Group Emirates-XRG), who completed in the identical group.
Yates managed to keep away from the crash and its results as he was well-placed within the Visma-Lease a Bike practice, which had taken up the chase of the breakaway, aiming to win a dash with Olav Kooij.
After the incident, and onto the Saver climb, Visma didn’t let up, which was partly liable for why the gaps to the crashed riders went out so rapidly, however they insisted this was motivated by attempting to win the stage with Kooij, not attempting to take time with Yates or make the most of the crash.
“It was fairly apparent that we had been right here to try to win the stage with Olav,” Van Aert informed FloBikes on the end, after clarifying that the group had already been on the offensive in the mean time of the crash.
“We fought for it the entire day, we took management of the breakaway, after which within the ultimate, we had been there as a group to try to carry again this break. They performed it actually good and accelerated fairly onerous within the ultimate. So we would have liked everybody to nonetheless shut it, and sure, it is true, when the crash occurred, we stored on going as a result of we nonetheless needed to shut the hole.”
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Lots of the riders who took time within the group, together with Del Toro, had been clear that they did not enjoy gaining a bonus like that. Regardless of a transparent good consequence for Visma’s GC hopes with Yates, Van Aert expressed the same sentiment.
“On any Grand Tour, you’ve got days like this, and it is a disgrace that there are variations on the GC due to this,” he stated.
That stated, when delving into the precise causes for the crash, the Belgian pointed to the GC riders’ personal actions as a potential rationalization. The crash occurred close to the entrance of the peloton, on a cobbled nook, and even on a dash stage, it is regular to see GC groups proper up entrance within the finale and up till the 3km to go level.
“It was for certain harmful,” he stated. “The moist circumstances made it extra difficult, however these days there’s a lot strain within the bunch for the GC groups they usually’re taking dangers on a regular basis, and I feel that is the explanation why they crashed themselves at the moment.”
Even when Visma weren’t intentionally attempting to make the most of the crash and the chaotic finale, the consequence on the finish of the day is identical both manner: Simon Yates’ already pretty easy GC bid has taken one other upwards step, and he is gained time on some important rivals.
The fearsome third week remains to be looming, and there is consensus in and across the race that the ‘actual’ Giro solely actually begins on Tuesday, however Yates is within the second-best place, and is unquestionably motivated to take time of his personal accord come the mountains.
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