Vendrame, a blue rainbow brightens the sky over Romania

Italian Andrea Vendram (Team AG2R Citroën) won the 12th stage of the Giro d’Italia 104, the 212-kilometer-long Apennine Crossing from Siena to Bagno de Romagna. The 27-year-old from Congliano defeated Australian Christopher Hamilton (DSM Team) in the sprint race. Third place at 15 inches was placed Vicenza Gianluca Brambella (Trek-Segafredo) who preceded New Zealand champion George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma). The overall rating remains unchanged with Igan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) holding 45 inches over Russian Alexander Vlasov (Astana Premier Tech) with Sicilian Damiano Caruso (Bahrain victorious) in third at 1’12. This is the objectively disappointing result of a segment that presented itself on paper as one of the toughest in the Pink Run. Instead, after they started their usual group escape, the best group confined themselves to proceeding with the control rhythm set and enforced by Ineos.

The first part of the stage was marked by a happily fall without disastrous consequences that led to the retirement of five knights: Alessandro de Marchi and Alex Dossett (Israel Start-Up Nation), Mark Soler (Movestar), Fausto Masnada (Dikionink-Kwik). Step) and Gino Mader (Bahrain Victorious). Meanwhile, upon leaving Sesto Fiorentino, the attack of the following fifteen athletes was achieved: Simone Ravanelli (Androni Giocattoli Cedermic), Mikel Honoré (Decionink Quick Step), Vincenzo Albanese (Iolo Comita), Diego Olisi (the Emirates Emirati team), Dries De Bondt (Alpsin Phoenix), Gianluca Brambella (Trek Segafredo), Christopher Hamilton (DSM Team), Andrea Vendram, Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroen Team), Simon Pettelli (Intermarchi and Ante Joubert), Victor Campinarts (Cubica Asus), Natnael Tesfazion (Andrea Vendram) Giocattoli-Sidermec, Guy Niv (Israel Start-Up Nation), George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma), Nicholas Edet (Cofidis) and Giovanni Visconti (Bardiani CSF Faizanè).

In the alternating rain and sun, the break continued with the pink shirt set keeping the pace so low that runners could keep the wheels uphill. In the lead, Frenchman Bouchard won his first three GPM races, thus cementing his blue jersey as the leader in the climbers’ rankings. On the last precipice, Paso del Carneo, whose summit was 10 kilometers from the end, only four remained in command: Bennett, Brambella, Hamilton and Vendrami. Brambella looked the most cheerful but made the mistake of distracting at least three of the end, and got into an argument with Bennett about changes in leadership of the group. Hamilton and Vendrami took advantage of this and tapped 100 meters before the litigants. In a sprint, the man from Marka had no problem getting the knight from Bendigo out of the way. The best group arrived in 10 minutes, ahead of Vincenzo Nepali (Trek Segafredo) in seven platonic seconds.

The thirteenth stage, dedicated to Dante Alighieri, will kick off tomorrow. 198 kilometers, smooth like a pool table, the caravan will transport from Ravenna to Verona, the two main sites of the poet’s exile. There will also be a visit to Mantua to celebrate Learco Guerra, the human locomotive who wore the first pink shirt in 90 years. This will be the last call for runners before the big mountains at the home of Ilya Viviani (Cofides), just named the blue standard at the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

All stages of Giro Ditalia 2021