Today’s seventh stage was shortened yesterday evening because of snow and freezing conditions at the initial summit finish at Auron, the stage was then cut from 120.4km to 47km owing to torrential rain. This stage was ripe for the sprinters, conditions still made for an unpleasant 61 minutes in the saddle.
Biniam Girmay finished just behind Dorian Godon (Ineos) to record his best result of the week, marking the team’s second podium after Lewis Askey’s third place in Friday’s stage.
“I think it was 10 out of 10 cold – I could not get colder than this. But today is the best result I have had in these conditions.
I was just on the limit. It was a shit day to ride a bike, but I am getting better in this weather, as I am not used to it. So, second place – I think we just need to be happy with this.
The team did quite a nice one-hour ride. We were always in the front and under control. At the finish, I think everybody was just freezing, but they dropped me in a good position.”
-Biniam Girmay
Isaac Del Toro is closing in to overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico after winning the penultimate stage on Saturday and extending his lead in the GC. He attacked on the final climb to Camerino at the end of a brutal 189km stage that featured 3,900 meters of elevation gain. The young Mexican took his first stage win of the Race of the Two Seas. Del Toro leads the overall standings by 42 seconds over Pellizzari heading into the Sunday’s final stage, to the coastal town of San Benedetto del Tronto suited to the sprinters.