On the Giro, the gruelling day follows the rest day. On Tuesday, the riders started the second week of the race in horrible conditions, which did have some consequences. Towards Tuscany and Viareggio, many crashes and abandons were recorded during this extremely tough tenth stage. However, Thibaut Pinot was able to keep his position in a very small bunch together with Bruno Armirail, while Magnus Cort took the win after a breakaway. The French climber now sits in sixteenth place overall.

“The weather conditions alone made it difficult”, Sébastien Joly

The weather could have been milder as the riders returned to business on Tuesday, on stage 10 of the Giro. However, even before taking the start in Scandiano for 196 kilometers including a gradual climb to 1500 meters, everyone was expecting a tough day in the office. “It was really particular as there were questions at the start”, explained Sébastien Joly. “There have been discussions with the organization and the riders’ union. There was even a plan B, with 70 kilometres to ride and the buses following the race. However, it was technically impossible”. It was soon confirmed that the peloton did have to cover the entire route, and the start was therefore given as planned shortly after noon. “Personally, I was psychologically ready to try to go in the breakaway today, and I was therefore ready to do the full stage,” explained Bruno Armirail. “It wasn’t shortened but I was mentally prepared, so it was a little easier to handle.” However, the first 90 kilometres made of small climbs/descents, until reaching the highest point of the course, proved to be extremely demanding. The riders went back and forth to the cars while the conditions remained very tough. “Once we got underway, the race started and it definitely was an epic stage since the forecasts that announced rain, cold and strong wind at the top, proved to be reliable”, added Sébastien Joly. “The weather conditions alone made it difficult, and many suffered a lot from it”.

“In such a situation, it is especially important to cover yourself well”, indicated Bruno. “It’s not that simple, but you have to manage as well as possible. The staff had prepared clothes and hot tea for us at the top of the climbs. I was cold on the descent although I really covered myself. It was really hard to remain dry.” In addition to the pre-stage abandons, including that of Remco Evenepoel due to Covid-19 on Sunday evening, and that of Stefan Küng on Tuesday morning, several riders left the Giro during this stage 10. A four-man breakaway made of Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost), Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AlUla), Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) managed to build a solid lead over the peloton, which was controlled by the sprinters teams despite the conditions. Then, after crossing the top of the Passo delle Radici, the riders began a long, wet descent of about thirty kilometres. It was yet another test to overcome. “I stayed in Thibaut’s wheel on the descents, and my job was to close the gaps if there were any splits”, explained Bruno. Many crashes and splits did occur in the descent, but Thibaut Pinot, Bruno Armirail and Rudy Molard managed to return to the main bunch after this tricky section.

“A very demanding day physically speaking”, Sébastien Joly

From that moment on, the fight with the breakaway resumed completely and the Groupama-FDJ riders just tried to keep the wheels of the group. “What saved us all was heading to the coast,” added Sébastien Joly. “The more we advanced towards the finish, the more we gained degrees. That’s what enabled the guys to finish without being completely paralyzed”. The battle between the peloton and the fugitives was won by the latter. Magnus Cort took the victory a little less than a minute before the small bunch arrived, with Thibaut Pinot and Bruno Armirail in there. “The guys were very exhausted, but happy to have finished and got this stage out of the way”, concluded Sébastien Joly. “It was a very demanding day physically speaking.” “On this kind of day, after the line, you grab the jacket and go straight to the bus to take a shower and eat a few candies that give you a little comfort”, added Bruno with a smile. On Tuesday, Thibaut Pinot rose to sixteenth place overall, 4’48 behind the new maglia rosa Geraint Thomas. Tomorrow, the longest stage of the Giro 2023 will follow this gruelling day, with 219 kilometres on the menu towards Tortona.

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