Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: Stage 12 was made for Julian Alaphilippe with its short and steep ramps in the tough finale. The French double World champion made sure he was in the ‘break of the day’ and then rode away with Mirco Maestri of Polti Kometa. The Soudal Quick-Step rider soloed to his first stage win in the Giro d’Italia. Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) were second and third. Tadej Pogačar finished in the peloton to hold the overall lead.
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Stage 12 last 1K
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Julian Alaphilippe gets his giro stage win
Julian Alaphilippe won a Giro stage. The ex-double World champion of Soudal Quick-Step finished solo in Fano, after being off the front for more than a 100 kilometres. Behind him; Jhonatan Narvaez and Quinten Hermans sprinted to second and third places. Overall leader, Tadej Pogačar was never in trouble.
Stage 12 profile
The stage begins flat for 50km, and then takes in a succession of punchy and wall-like climbs all the way to the finish. Past Civitanova Marche, the route leaves the Adriatic coast and starts rising and falling nonstop. The riders will be negotiating 10 short but steep climbs, with varying degrees of difficulty (4 of which will be awarding KOM points). With 9 km out, the route takes a first ever pass over Monte Giove, where gradients exceed 10%. The final kilometres around Fano old town, along the walls, are quite intricate. The route bends in opposite directions, with short straight stretches in between. The last kilometre has a mild uphill gradient. The home straight (450m) is on 8m wide tarmac.
It’s very unlikely today’s finish will suit yesterday’s stage winner, and points leader Jonathan Milan
The lumpy route inspired many attackers to get away before the tough finale that would suit the puncheurs. At first the leading group was small. Young riders; Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (Intermarché-Wanty) joined Matteo Trentin (Tudor). They held off the peloton for 30 kilometres before being pulled back.
The peloton leaves Martinsicuro for the ride to Fano on stage 12
After 40 kilometres, Simon Clarke started a new break, but he was only joined by four riders. Michael Hepburn, Mirco Maestri and Eduardo Affini made up the leading group. Julian Alaphilippe knew today’s stage suited him. When he accelerate, the peloton tried to chase him down and 30 riders were on his tail. Filippo Ganna, Jhonatan Narvaez, Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Quinten Hermans were amongst the chasers. Alaphilippe was not finished yet.
Matteo Trentin wanted to be in the break today
The big break of the day: Filippo Ganna & Jhonatan Narvaez (INEOS Grenadiers), Tobias Bayer & Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Ewen Costiou & Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Christian Scaroni & Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan), Ruben Fernandez & Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R), Mikkel Honoré & Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost), Laurence Pithie & Cyril Barthe (Groupama-FDJ), Lilian Calmejane & Dion Smith (Intermarché-Wanty), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech), Juan Pedro Lopez (Lidl-Trek), Nairo Quintana en Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar), Julian Alaphilippe, Jan Hirt & Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-Quick Step), Gijs Leemreize & Kevin Vermaerke (fsm-firmenich PostNL), Michael Hepburn en Luka Mezgec (Jayco AlUla), Davide Piganzoli & Micro Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Edoardo Affini & Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Matteo Trentin & Alexander Kamp (Tudor), Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), Domenico Pozzovivo & Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane) and Jasha Sütterlin (Bahrain Victorious).
Eventually there was a big escape group
The peloton were happy a group got away, but they didn’t want them to get too far
Tadej Pogačar was looking good as always
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) and Mirco Maestri (Polti Kometa) decided it was better to be in-front of the big break
Could Alaphilippe and Maestri hold off the chasers?
UAE and Pogačar were never too far from the front
Alaphilippe picked the best wheel for protection
Alaphilippe decided it was time to go solo
Could the double World champion hold off the chasers?
A well deserved win for Julian Alaphilippe
Stage winner, Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step): “The plan wasn’t to do 125km like this but with a big group. Firstly I have to thank my team-mates for controlling the first 60km. The cooperation with Mirco Maestri was excellent. He also deserved the stage win. I always believed I could win but until the last kilometres I had to push full gas. The chasers were close behind me. It was my dream to win a stage at the Giro d’Italia. It makes me really happy. It’s an important win for me after difficult times. I got it thanks to my team, my wife and my son who have always supported me.”
Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) was second at 31 seconds
Maglia Rosa and KOM, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “The beginning of the stage was very fast. Alaphilippe showed that he’s back. What he did is actually incredible. This is what champions do. He deserves this victory. Not many riders are able to do this. The parcours was pretty tough with a lot of small climbs. Luckily for us we have a good gap on GC. It’s a stage I would have liked to try and win if I wasn’t here for GC but I prefer to do GC.”
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Giro d’Italia Stage 12 Result:
1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step in 4:07:44
2. Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:31
3. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 0:32
4. Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:43
5. Christian Scaroni (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
6. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor at 1:30
7. Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
9. Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti Kometa
10. Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Cofidis.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 12:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 45:22:35
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:56
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 3:39
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 4:27
6. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL at 4:57
7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 5:19
8. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco AlUla at 5:23
9. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 5:28
10. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 5:52.
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