(MENAFN- Dubai PR Network)
Narvaez takes three man sprint at the end of an intense first stage
There was an exciting opening to the Giro D'Italia where Tadej Pogačar went close to the pink jersey in his debut in the corsa rosa, taking the third place.
The 140 km from Venaria Reale to Torino were animated especially in the final part, on the two hills of Colle Maddalena (7,1 km at 6,6%) and the San Vito (summit at 3 km to go): UAE Team Emirates led the peloton in the chase of the daily breakaway, making a selection on the Colle Maddalena (GC riders such as Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman were dropped) and approached the San Vito hill with solo leader Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Tadej's sight.
The Slovenian rider accelerated immediately after having approached the hill, bridging the gap from the leader, and heading to the arrival with only Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) with him. The chasers could reduce the gap from them in the downhill to the finish line
In the battle for the first pink jersey on the final straight, Schachmann hit out first, causing Pogačar to react immediately.
Narvaez could exploit Tadej's slipstream, overtaking him at 100 meters to go and crossing first on the finish line.
The Ecuadorian is the first leader of the Giro with Pogačar 3rd at 6'.
Stage 2 of the Giro will see the first summit arrival of the 2024 edition: after 161 km from the start from San Francesco al Campo, the riders will reach the finish line in Oropa, at the end of a 11,8 km climb with average gradient of 6.1%.
Pogačar: 'It was a short and fast stage which we tried our best to control. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be our day but I think we still did a good job as a team. I went full gas from the bottom of the climb to the top but could not shake Narvaez. I knew he would be hard to beat in a sprint, he's faster than me.
Tomorrow is a day that should be good for us, we'll see how the legs are after today, but it should be a nice one.
It was a beautiful stage and start all-round to the Giro here in Torino.'
Stage 1 results
1. Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos-Grenadiers) 3h14'23'
2. Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) s.t.
3. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.
General classification after stage 1
1. Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos-Grenadiers) 3h14'13'
2. Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) +3'
3. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) +6'
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