Nicola Rutzou
At the conclusion of Stage 9 of the Giro d’Italia viewed last night on Aussie TVs around the country, the race has certainly delivered on its promise of exciting racing.
For Aussie cycling fans, we’ve loved watching two of our own crossing the finish line first, as well as some of the Euro superstars like Wout Van Aert.
On Stage 6, Aussie sprinter Kaden Groves of the Alpecin-Deceuninck squad navigated his way through the chaos of the stage to take the win. A big crash at round 70 km to go led to a race stoppage and all GC times neutralised, but Groves proved the fastest in a reduced sprint. Australian rider Jai Hindley of the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team was a victim of the crash and abandoned.
Team Jayco-AlUla’s Luke Plapp took Stage 8 in a career-defining win after launching a solo attack at around 40km to go on hilly terrain. Plapp used his time trial skills to establish a handy lead, crossing the finish line 38 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. The win was Plapp’s first Grand Tour stage victory, representing a significant step in his professional career.
In his post-race interview, Plapp said, “It’s pretty crazy, I still can’t believe it to be honest. It’s been a long time coming, I’m always targeting the Aussie summer and I’ve just never been able to make a result happen in Europe. Last year I got so close at the Giro so many times and for today to happen, it is so, so special.”
Here are some highlights from our friend Stefano Sirrotti following the race.
