Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: After the ‘Break of the day’ was pulled in with 38 kilometres to go, it was eyed down for a bunch sprint in Francavilla al Mare. Alpecin-Deceuninck, Lidl-Trek, Soudal Quick-Step and Jayco AlUla all had men fighting for the front places with 30 km to go. INEOS Grenadiers took control with 4K to go, but they were swept aside in the last 2 kilometres. Alpecin and Soudal pounded on the front, but points leader, Jonathan Milan shot out to take the stage victory ahead of Tim Merlier (declassed) and Kaden Groves.
Stage 11 finish
*** See the PEZ Giro d’Italia ’24 Preview Chat With Chris Horner HERE. ***
*** See the Week #2 Route Preview HERE. ***
*** See the Week #2 Route Preview HERE. ***
*** You can see the PEZ ‘Giro Route Preview’ HERE. ***
*** See the PEZ ‘Favourite Riders’ choice HERE. ***
Another stage and more points for Jonathan Milan
Jonathan Milan won the eleventh stage of the Giro d’Italia, after a sprint duel with Tim Merlier. The big Italian of Lidl-Trek picked the right moment to pass Merlier with a strong kick. Third place went to Kaden Groves. Fabio Jakobsen was also in the sprint for the first time, but crashed in a nervous final. Tadej Pogačar keeps his overall lead.
Stage 11 profile
This stage is clearly divided in two: a hilly first part across the Apennines, all the way to Termoli, and a second flat part along the coastal road (ss. 16). When crossing the Apennines, the route rises and falls, twisting considerably, partly on fast roads. As the stage reaches the coast, in Termoli, the route takes the Statale Adriatica all the way to Francavilla al Mare. With nearly 4km to go, two right-handers (with a railway underpass in-between) lead into the lengthy home straight. The last 3.5km across the urban area are essentially straight and perfectly flat. The home straight (3,000m) is on 8m wide tarmac.
Tadej Pogačar, Jan Tratnik and Antonio Tiberi
The day started with bad news for Visma | Lease a Bike. After Olav Kooij’s retirement on Tuesday, GC leader Cian Uijtdebroeks also had to drop out due to illness. Three escapees went away early. Visma | Lease a Bike had nothing to lose and sent Edoardo Affini and Tim van Dijke in the break. They were joined by Thomas Champion of Cofidis, but never had more than a 2:30 lead on the peloton.
It should be a day for the sprinters, if they can get over the early climb
Visma | Lease A Bike sent Edoardo Affini and Tim van Dijke up the road
It was the sprinter’s teams of Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step, who took control and did not let the lead group get away too far. Later, the teams of Alpecin-Deceuninck and Jayco AlUla also worked in the pursuit. When Affini, Van Dijke and Champion reached the coastline, about 100 kilometres from the finish, the lead had even dropped to under 1 minute.
The peloton was not that interested in the chase, but kept them close
Thomas Champion of Cofidis joined them
A bunch sprint was on the cards. Fabio Jakobsen had survived the opening section and was able to prepare for his first real sprint opportunity of the Giro. dsm-firmenich PostNL didn’t come to the front, as the pace was fast enough. Affini, Van Dijke and Champion were caught 38 kilometres from the finish, just before the bonus sprint, where Geraint Thomas surprisingly took 2 seconds. The other favourites didn’t sprint.
More horse power needed
The maximum lead for the break was 2:30
The pace was also high due to the wind along the coast that favoured the peloton, and the stage was on the fastest timetable. What made the finale interesting was that the riders made a U-turn more than 3 kilometres before the finish and then had to sprint against a strong headwind. But then it had to be a sprint. Andrea Piccolo was quickly caught after an attack attempt and in the hectic Felix Großschartner and Kevin Vermaerke fell in the preliminary final. Afterwards, several trains were formed in the final, on the one hand for the sprinters and on the other hand to keep the classification man out of trouble. That all went without any major problems, including that U-turn.
Alpecin-Deceuninck, Soudal Quick-Step and Lild-Trek held the escape close enough to reel in
Once the break was over it was down to the sprinter’s teams
Timing was going to be the key in the final kilometres along the beach-front of Francavilla Al Mare. Alpecin-Deceuninck started the last kilometre in the lead, but Kaden Groves had lost his train. As a result, the organisation was lost and Soudal Quick-Step took over for Merlier. The Belgian waited a long time, but was still the first to start his sprint at 200 metres. That turned out to be too early, because Jonathan Milan sprinted to victory with a lot of power. Merlier and Groves came second and third, but more than half an hour after the finish Merlier was removed from the top of the results. Because he deviated from his line and hindered Juan Sebastián Molano, he was declassified and put back in the results. Behind; Fabio Jakobsen looked like he was going to sprint for the first time, but he ended up on the road because a rider of Intermarché-Wanty crashed in front of him.
Another stage win for points leader Jonathan Milan?
No mistake for Milan
It was a rough battle, but Milan took the win
Stage winner, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek): “Winning is not just about the 20 seconds of the sprint that make the victory in the end. It comes from all the work we’ve done before as a team. The way they have supported me and pushed me to sprint, that’s what makes me happy. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. It’s always tricky to sprint on straight roads and find the right moment to react when someone like Tim Merlier today launches the sprint. But it went well. It’s very special to win a second stage, this time with the Maglia Ciclamino. Last year after I won I was always up there in the sprints but I couldn’t win another one. It’s important to learn from the mistakes I’ve made in the past.”
# All the Giro news in EUROTRASH Thursday. #
Giro d’Italia Stage 11 Result:
1. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek in 4:23:18
2. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck
3. Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti Kometa
4. Laurence Pithie (NZ) Groupama-FDJ
5. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Team Emirates
6. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
7. Fernando Gaviria (Col) Movistar
8. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Victorious
9. Stanisław Aniołkowski (Pol) Cofidis
10. Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 11:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates in 41:09:26
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:56
4. Ben O’Connor 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.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive updates and reminders on what’s cool in road cycling?
