Giro d'Italia. Van Uden stuns favorites
Picnic Post picks up a surprise win in Lecce. Dark horse takes victory
For a team facing possible relegation, Picnic PostNL chose the perfect time for a season-altering win. It was a steal, a Picnic pickpocket.
Coming into the final 300 meters in Lecce, Casper van Uden suddenly found himself in the lead. It was a bit early to launch his sprint but fortune often favors the brave. Fortune also likes underdogs, long shots, dark horses and fast men with no fear.
Van Uden held off Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) to take a monumental and much-needed victory. The race leader Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) finished fourth and stays in his favorite color pink.
The final 12 kilometers were an exercise in chaos: roundabouts, pinch points, riders braking and accelerating constantly The road surface was repaved for the Giro d’Italia — it was smooth and blazing fast. It was closer to a criterium course than a grand tour sprint with speeds of 50 to 60 kph all the way into Lecce.
Mads Pedersen had quite an exhausting and challenging day. He was held up and stuck at the back of the peloton with 20 kilometers to go. He wasn’t back up front until five clicks to go. Matches burned, legs worked over.
When Van Uden hit out, Pedersen tried the right side of the road and Olav Kooij came up the middle. Neither could quite catch Uden who had a clean, traffic-free run to the finish. Favorites Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) could only manage 5th and 6th.
While his victory stunned the top sprinters, Van Uden wasn’t playing the underdog. “I don’t think it’s a surprise for me to win,” he said. “I know the boys and everyone kept believing in me – sometimes I just have to find that belief in myself a little bit. Everyone from the team does a good job helping me do that, and it paid off.”
We suspect there will be several champagne toasts at the Picnic PostNL dinner table. One for the stage win and successful Giro d’Italia and a second toast for avoiding possible relegation.
“We don’t know the future and I’m happy to live in the now,” said a happy Van Uden. “For now, it’s really good.”
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 4
1. Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek in 11:44:31
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:07
3. Mathias Vacek (CZ) Lidl-Trek at 0:14
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:21
5. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:22
6. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Emirates XRG at 0:25
7. Max Poole (GB) Team Picnic PostNL at 0:33
8. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 0:34
9. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 0:36
10. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:40.