The Blockhaus is the mountain where Eddy Merckx was ‘discovered’ by the Giro d’Italia – winning his first Grand Tour stage here back in 1967. Jonas Vingegaard is here. Should he win the Giro, he will become just the eighth rider to have been champion of all three Grand Tours.
Visma Lease a Bike team took control to the front at the bottom of the 13km final climb led by Davide Piganzoli. Fromer Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss launched Vingegaard with 5.5km of Blockhaus remaining, with only Giulio Pellizzari able to stay with him. However, Pellizzari completely cracked – not being able to follow the Austrian Felix Gall afterwards. Vingegaard rode to the stage win with only a little over 10 seconds over Felix Gall. Jai Hindley finished third in front of Pellizzari. Afonso Eulalio crossed the finish around 3 minutes behind, losing half of his lead to the Dane, but maintaining his Maglia Rosa.
Vingegaard’s victory atop Blockhaus, following in the wheel tracks of riders including Eddy Merckx, Jose Manuel Fuente, Moreno Argentin and Nairo Quintana in doing so.
“We kept it a bit more open to see when the momentum was there. There was a lot of wind, and at moments, a lot of headwind, so it was a very tough climb. It was a good day for me, a good day for us, and just to take back time and take some time on my opponents, that’s a good any for us. For sure, Felix Gall is a big rival to me. I knew it already before the race. He’s a very strong guy who we really have to take in to account.”
-Jonas Vingegaard
Look Back:
Twenty-one-year old, Eddy Merckx (Peugeot) celebrated his first Giro d’Italia stage victory on Stage 12 in 1967 on the climb Blockhaus.