Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: Everyone thought it was going to be a sprinter’s stage, except Jhonathan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers). The Ecuadorian attacked on the climb before the finish to solo to the finish in Naples. His plan nearly worked, as the sprinters only caught him 50 metres from the finish line. Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) took the win by the slimmest of margins ahead of points leader, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). There was no change at the top of the leader board going into the first rest day. Tadej Pogačar stays in pink.
The final kilometre
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Big win for Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Olav Kooij’s took his first stage victory in a Grand Tour on Sunday. The Dutchman of Visma | Lease a Bike took the victory in Naples – after a close fought finale. After an attack on the last climb from Jhonathan Narváez, it looked like the INEOS Grenadiers rider had the win, but he was passed by the sprinters in the last metres.
Giro stage 9
The route is divided into two parts, with the first 180km serving as an approach to the challenging stage finale. The route begins on fast and mostly straight roads, passing through several tunnels, runs along the Tyrrhenian coast and reaches Monte di Procida for a tough stage finale. The roads are well surfaced but narrow, with a succession of bends, and constantly changing gradients. Past Torregaveta, in Baia, the route kicks up at a 14% gradient to Lago Lucrino, heads towards Pozzuoli and Posillipo, and then takes a lengthy descent down the Via Petrarca leading to the final kilometres in the city centre. The last 3 pan flat kilometres run eastwards along the Via Dohrn and Via Caracciolo. At the last km, the route takes a U-turn at a roundabout, and returns along the Via Caracciolo all the way to the finish. The home straight (900m) is on 9m wide tarmac.
Sunday’s start in Avezzano
The stage looked to be for the strong sprinters, but it could also suit a late attacker. Non starter today was Alexey Lutsenko, the Kazakh champion of Astana Qazaqstan, who had a bad in the mountain stage to Prato di Tivo on Saturday, wasn’t at the start due to illness.
It should be a day for sprinter Jonathan Milan
After a delay due to a puncture by Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, the 163 remaining riders started the last stage before the first rest day. After the official start, two riders from Team Polti Kometa attacked immediately. They were the Italians Mirco Maestri and Andrea Pietrobon. Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) gave chase, but was not strong enough to get across.
Will it be an easier day to Napoli for Tadej Pogačar and Cian Uijtdebroeks
The peloton were not too bothered and let Maestri and Pietrobon go. The lead of the two Polti-Kometa riders was just over 2 minutes after 20 kilometres. In the peloton, it was Alpecin-Deceuninck who set the pace, but it wasn’t fast. The Belgian team were working for their sprinter, Kaden Groves.
The leaders at the start of the day
The lead of the two fluctuated around 2:30 for a long time, but Alpecin-Deceuninck let the difference increase to 4 minutes. This was to be the maximum advantage for Maestri and Pietrobon, who had no chance of a possible stage victory. There would be an inevitable regrouping, but Davide Ballerini counter-attacked.
The ‘break of the day’: Andrea Pietrobon and Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa)
The Italian didn’t manage to get away, but he did encourage other riders to make a move. There was then a lot of nervousness in the peloton, with more attacks. Alpecin-Deceuninck and BORA-hansgrohe, for Danny van Poppel, covered all the attacks and shut down all the moves. It then became a lot calmer in the peloton and the escapees took a little more time.
Pink shorts for Tadej today
Maestri and Pietrobon came through first intermediate sprint of the day. In Mondragone, Pietrobon took full points ahead of his teammate. In the peloton, Tim Merlier, who is struggling with a painful groin after a fall in the time trial, was too fast for the purple jersey Jonathan Milan, Olav Kooij and Kaden Groves for 6 points.
Alpecin-Deceuninck wanted to keep the Polti-Kometa boys close
After the intermediate sprint in Mondragone, the pace in the peloton increased, with the hilly finale in mind. 57 kilometres to go, there was a crash in the peloton. Geraint Thomas crashed just after a roundabout. The 37-year-old INEOS rider didn’t look injured and quickly got back on the bike and was brought back to the peloton by Tobias Foss and Ben Swift.
The 2024 Giro heads towards its most southerly point – Napoli
After a short chase, Thomas managed to rejoin the peloton, just in time for the crucial hills towards the finish in Naples. After the second and last intermediate sprint in Giugliano in Campania, where Groves took the points, it was time for the only categorised climb of the day: the Monte di Procida (4.1km at 3%). On the climb, sprinters Fabio Jakobsen and Merlier were dropped.
Pietrobon and Maestri were only allowed 2 minutes
While not much happened on the first climb, the race came alive on the next climb to Lucrino (1.1km at 6.7%). It was Julian Alaphilippe who started the action and passed the break of Pietrobon and Maestri. The Frenchman, who was second on the gravel stage to Rapolano Terme, had Nicola Conci on his wheel. Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich) and Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) also joined them.
The rest day in Naples is on the horizon
These seven riders, Pietrobon and Maestri managed to hold on, created a lead of about 20 seconds. The peloton was not far behind and still had the situation under control. In the leading group, Conci didn’t want to work and this didn’t help the co-operation. Alaphilippe and Costiou decided to jump away from the group and push on to the final climb of the day.
Pizza for the Giro in Napoli
The two Frenchmen hoped to start the final climb (3.2km at 4.4%) to Posillipo, a historic district in the southwest of Naples, with a winning lead. In the thinned out peloton, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek worked together in their desire for a sprint. The lead of Alaphilippe and Costiou continued to come down and just before the start of the final climb it looked like they would be caught. The two leaders started the last climb with a small very advantage, but they had little chance.
Ewen Costiou (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) gave it a try
Alaphilippe was not going to give up. The double World champion had something left and said goodbye to Costiou and hoped to solo to the finish in Naples. In the group behind them, the knives were being sharpened for a counter attack. Just before the summit, Jhonathan Narváez saw his chance. The winner of the opening stage to Turin accelerated past the suffering Alaphilippe.
Jhonatan Narvaez (INEOS Grenadiers) came so close
Alaphilippe was caught and left behind by the peloton, Narváez started the last 7 flat kilometres with a lead. Two kilometres from the finish, his lead was 10 seconds, but was this enough? It looked like it for a long time, but Narváez turned out to be unable to maintain his lead to the line. Due to a strong pull on the front by pink jersey wearer Pogačar for his teammate Juan Sebastián Molano, the sprinters were thundering to the line. Narváez was passed by Milan and Kooij just 50 meters from the finish. The Italian was the first to start the sprint, but this time he was beaten by the Dutchman. Kooij took the win, his first in a GT. Milan came second, Molano third.
Narváes was only just passed before the line by the sprinters
Stage winner, Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike): “My first Grand Tour stage win was what I was looking for but it’s been a difficult and unlucky first week for our team and a hard stage today. We weren’t sure to catch the breakaway riders but the team remained committed. The guys put me in an ideal position. It’s been tight but I really wanted this first Grand Tour win and I hope there are many more to come.”
Olav Kooij took his first Grand Tour win
The Maglia Rosa, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “I haven’t become a lead-out man, but Molano did a very good job to be at the front in the finale. He didn’t get the win but third is a good result and I was happy to help a friend. I have a comfortable advantage before the first rest day. It’s nice to relax in Napoli. We already have seen beautiful sceneries since the start of the Giro. Here I’ll add some pizza to make it pleasant for sure before we resume racing on Tuesday.”
Rest day photos in pink for Tadej
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Giro d’Italia Stage 9 Result:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike in 4:44:22
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates
4. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor
5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Madis Mihkels (Est) Intermarché-Wanty
7. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck
8. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
9. Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Max Kanter (Ger) Astana Qazaqstan.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 9:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 32:59:04
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:58
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 3:39
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 4:02
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 4:23
7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 5:15
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 5:28
9. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 5:30
10. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 5:53.
# Catch up with all the Giro d’Italia news in EUROTRASH Monday. #
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