Valgren wins for EF Education in thrilling breakaway battle.
Danish rider outwits all his rivals thanks to his legs and good luck charm.
Michael Valgren (EF Education EasyPost) won today’s Giro d’Italia stage with fantastic legs, tactical smarts and a green Pokemon good-luck charm from his son. Pokemon wins big races!
He needed it all on the stage fromCassano d’Adda to Andalo. The racing was aggressive with constant attacks and counter moves from a large breakaway that split into two groups.
Valgren made the front group along with eight strong riders, highlighted by Einer Rubio (Movistar), Igor Arrieta (UAE Emirates XRG), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). That’s over overabundance of firepower.
It was a breakaway deluxe and picking a winner from such a talented group was pure roll of dice. They all believed in their chances.
Tactics on the road shifted constantly as riders were dropped, bridged back, fought to close gaps and stay in the hunt. It was WorldTour bike racing at its very best.
Rubio was an attacking machine. He hit the gas at least three times before finally punching out a gap. It takes a bit but Caruso and Valgren latch on and Vlasov crawls his way back, too.
Then at 13.5k it’s Rubio, the little Colombian climber, blasting ahead. Only Valgren can join him. Now it’s Movistar and EF Education, both teams desperate for a victory in this edition of the Giro d’Italia.
Rubio does the lion’s share of the work as Valgren barely hangs on, grimacing and refusing to work. The chase is ten seconds back and still motivated. It’s a moment where the race is perfectly balanced, all possibilities still in play.
Valgren now decides he better make their gap stick and the two trade turns as they head under the five kilometer banner.
Odds are the two will battle it out unless Rubio can drop him on the final three kilometer ascent. The grades average 6% with a max of 8%. It’s Rubio’s playground but if he fails, the odds switch to Valgren, who’s faster in a sprint.
We have all the drama we need — only there’s another twist. Actually there are four more twists. This is bonus content!
Arrieta attacks from the chase group and bridges up, then Caruso, Vlasov and Leknessund somehow rejoin. Suddenly, it’s a party on the way to Andalo.
Now the strategy becomes more complicated and the tactics more risky. There are attacks from all over the road. Punches being traded back and forth. Nothing sticks. Then there’s a short lull and Valgren takes full advantage, launching himself from behind.
It’s the winning move on a day when the breakaway group started with 29 strong riders. Valgren is the only one who gets everything right and takes his first Giro stage win. “This is my move. When I have good legs, I’m good at it,” said Valgren.
Coming years after his devastating injuries in the 2022 Route d’Occitanie, it’s both redemption and confirmation that he’s back on top of his game.
Today on stage 17 he was the strongest, boldest and tactically smart. That, and he had his son’s green Pokemon good luck charm in his back pocket.