Part Two of our Giro d’Italia 2022 A to Z kicks off with Now or Never – riders who saw their chance and took it! And we finish up with Zero stage wins … teams who unfortunately didn’t come away with victory. We also have tears, tiny fans, one very quixotic rider and the best cycling photographers in the world.
N is for Now or Never
You don’t often see a four-up sprint for the line with Thomas De Gendt (Lotto) but that’s exactly what happened on Stage 8. Of course, it was a breakaway win, but the four couldn’t shake one another. To win, you had to sprint with everything your legs had … it was Now or Never … and TDG took the stage – ten years after his first Giro d’Italia stage win (on the Stelvio).
Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) has long been a favourite so seeing him ride smartly and aggressively in Stage 15 made my heart sing. But more importantly, he saw his chance and he took it on wholeheartedly. Tiring of hangers-on, he knew his chance was at the foot of the final climb – and he went for it, no looking back, no faffing about. 20km solo to the finish, where he threw his (atrocious) sunglasses into the crowd, and ‘felt like myself again’.
O is for Ouch
Lotto’s Caleb Ewan just can’t catch a break, can he? Stage 1 was going to be a sprint and … boom … down he goes.
🇭🇺#Giro
Not the climax we had hoped for today. @CalebEwan looks back on what seemed to be "a perfect scenario". "Despite the crash, we can take a lot of positives from today." pic.twitter.com/nAUfZnKtmR
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) May 6, 2022
And Ewan was possibly the one rider who left the Giro early, not due to injury, but to rest and start preparations for another race (>cough< Tour de France >cough<). We used to see that a lot – and Eddy Merckx has a lot to say about that – but this Giro, I think it was only him that did that.
🇮🇹 #Giro@CalebEwan will not be at the start of stage twelve of the Giro. As initially planned, the Australian will leave the Giro during the second week of racing. With plenty of mountain stages coming up, together with the team it was decided that Ewan will be heading home. pic.twitter.com/LyqduJS5dR
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) May 19, 2022
But the crash story of the Giro has to be Bahrain’s Santiago Buitrago, who came down hard with 80km to go on Stage 17, looked to be in some pain, yet got back on the bike, caught up with his breakaway companions, then took the stage win!
P is for Points jersey
If the maglia rosa is the most beautiful Grand Tour leader’s jersey, the maglia ciclamino holds the title for most beautiful points jersey, hands down. Mark Cavendish (QS) who won stage 3, Caleb Ewan (Lotto), Fernando Gaviria (UAE), Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) and Arnaud Demare (FDJ) were the pure sprinters of the bunch, but throw in Mathieu van der Poel, Biniam Girmay, and Alberto Dainese and there could have been a real battle for the points jersey.
Mark Cavendish's first and most recent Giro stage wins are 14 years apart (2008-2022).
Only two riders have bridged a longer stage winning gap in Giro history:
🇮🇹Gino Bartali – 15 years – (1935-1950)
🇮🇹Fausto Coppi – 15 years (1940-1955)#Giro105 #Giro— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) May 9, 2022
But Arnaud Demare, with his three monumental wins that carried the day, took the lead in the competition from MvdP and took over the ciclamino from Stage 5 and didn’t give it back! He never actually looked like he was going to lose it – either to another rider or by not getting over the mountains. His dominance was rewarded with his second Giro points title.
Q is Quixotic
You know, there’s something quixotic about BikeExchange’s Simon PHILIP Yates. He’s always touted as one of the favourites going into a Grand Tour but somehow, through bad luck, bad positioning (famously ‘more comfortable riding in the back’) or just not having the legs when he mosts needs them, he usually leaves the races having tilted at windmills and the windmills won. Unfortunately for Yates fans, this Giro was no different.
Schrödingers Yates is a thought experiment in which one puts a Simon Yates with enough nutrition for a day into a mountain stage.
One does not know if it's bad Simon Yates or thermonuclear Simon Yates until the climbing starts.#Giro— Nairo Quintana Fanclub (@NairoInGreen) May 24, 2022
Simon Yates every Grand Tour ⬇️#Giro pic.twitter.com/oCGHs3yOdU
— Cycling What Ifs ❓ (@cyclingwhatifs) May 15, 2022
He came out swinging by scorching the ITT on Stage 2, (to the surprise of everyone) but then had a crash on Stage 4, which left him with some knee issues. Going into Stage 9 in fifth on GC and hoping to conquer Blockhaus, he instead lost 11 minutes in bitter disappointment. That he was able to pick himself back up and win his second stage, stage 14, gave his fans something to cheer about, but not him. Asked if this made up for dropping out of the GC race, he replied: “… not to put a downer on the day, but I came here to win the race. For me it’s another stage. I have five already and it’s number six.” He abandoned the race on Stage 17.
UPDATE:
"The knee pain grew worse and worse, eventually leading to the decision for his retirement from the race.” – Matteo Beltemacchi (Team Doctor) 🎙#Giro 🇮🇹 https://t.co/S31XfPyiYj
— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) May 25, 2022
R is for Racing lines
Oh, it got a lot of the Twitterati up in arms but the experts said (including the race jury) that there was no foul on the cornering of Koen Bouwman at the end of Stage 19 – Midge’s stage review tells the whole tale. But I think we all agree that the final corner in question was very very bad race design.
Can't tell if the design of the #Giro Stage 19 is brilliant or daft…
Koen Bouwman, Mauro Schmid, Andrea Vendrame, Alessandro Tonelli & Attila Valter contributing to last corner chaos, similar to the first corner of an F1 race. pic.twitter.com/FGfErzvuxR
— Blaynos (@Blaynos14) May 28, 2022
'Not a fair sprint’ – Schmid after calamitous Stage 19 end saw him finish as ‘first loser’: "Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) won Stage 19. Mauro Schmid (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) took second and Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) third. However,… https://t.co/aGQUNgIhSI pic.twitter.com/5rdheXQtIP
— you-betterknow (@BetterknowYou) May 27, 2022
S is for Social Media
We saw the good humour of the Giro d’Italia official twitter account in F is for Food Crimes, and they were absolutely brilliant the whole three weeks. That social media team brought humour, fiestiness, passion, stats and a killer Gif game to our twitter feeds, day in, day out. They connected with fans – and we love them for it!
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 31, 2022
💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗
Not too shabby.Most improved award of the #Giro goes to @giroditalia admin. Setting the bar high for race social media engagement this year. 👏 https://t.co/GV7kjYR1c6
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) May 30, 2022
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2022
And let’s add the Trek-Segafredo social media team as well!
unfollow.
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2022
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 30, 2022
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 28, 2022
One of my all-time favourites
Watch out, there’s a new #Wolfpack 🐺 in town 😜 #Wolfie #Giro #GiroDItalia pic.twitter.com/7gLRTxmUYl
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 21, 2022
T is for Tears
There were some tears this year. Some from relief, some from joy, some from disappointment.
At first, there were tears of bitter disappointment by Juanpe Lopez, who lost Stage 4 on Mt Etna to Lennard Kamna. But what he didn’t know was that he went into the maglia rosa that day. This is what happened when he found out.
Juan Pedro López, andaluz de Lebrija, maglia rosa del Giro. pic.twitter.com/HquoXnSqvi
— juanma bellón (@juanmacorre) May 10, 2022
Ciccone’s epic win on Stage 15 – all the pent-up emotion from the past two, tough years, for the Italian rider came out in floods.
You can see how much this meant to @giuliocicco1 😭 #Giro #GiroDItalia pic.twitter.com/PZeJ2aj5x0
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 22, 2022
And we have a new bromance : Ciccone + Lopez = True Love Forever.
These two are making us cry all over again! 🥺 #Giro pic.twitter.com/rFqAtWozkv
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 22, 2022
Lots of emotions on the final climb of a 3-week race.
What a Team! @giuliocicco1 and @juanpedrolopez 🤗 🙌#WeAreATeam #Giro #magliabianche pic.twitter.com/KTiHcOSfG7— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) May 28, 2022
Even an tearful apology
Juan Pedro López was quite emotional after a tough fight to retain the Maglia Rosa!#Giro2022 pic.twitter.com/lpLzrHM51R
— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) May 15, 2022
Epic show of emotion from Bahrain’s Santiago Buitrago when he took stage 17
Victoria de Santiago Buitrago hoy en la etapa 17 del Giro de Italia ! 🇮🇹🚴♂️https://t.co/4HHJzWcEiF pic.twitter.com/q51degZVRA
— Ciclismo en Grande (@ciclismoengrand) May 25, 2022
This moment when Mikel Landa came over to congratulate his teammate on a great win had me in floods.
U is Unrivalled
There are a lot of great photographers covering races, but none match Jered and Ashley Gruber. They capture both the action and the ephemera of racing – the raw emotion and the unguarded reactions. And they tell stories in their captions – they meet and engage with the most extraordinary people while they work. Their Insta galleries are all over Giro Tweets of the Week, but here are a few that are my favourites.
V is for van der Poel
Mathieu van der Poel just continues to amaze. His first Giro d’Italia and he pulls on the pink jersey on stage 1. He’s in the breakaway pretty much every single day. He finished the Giro when many (including myself) were sceptical that he would – he’s not a climber so … Ah, but he’s learning to be a climber! He spent every day in the saddle actively learning how to be a Grand Tour rider. Testing his own limits. Testing others’ limits!
Is it even a Giro Breakaway if Mathieu Van Der Poel isn’t in it? #Giro #GiroDItalia #Giro105 pic.twitter.com/PIhnbMtsOp
— Anna Mac (@AnnamacB) May 28, 2022
Van der Poel finishes, no best time today but he completes his first grand tour with a stage win, a maglia rosa, plenty of breakaways and a thousand pineapple pizza memes
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) May 29, 2022
Van der Poel is the kid at the party who gets bored, drinks too much lemonade and starts running circles around the tables long before you've got to the main event. #Giro105
— Kit Nicholson (@kit_e_nicholson) May 28, 2022
Perhaps the best thing about May 2022 has been the joshing battle between @mathieuvdpoel and the defenders of Italian cuisine. Actually the best thing about May 2022 has been Mathieu van der Poel in general. #cycling pic.twitter.com/jpO6rVfKVQ
— christian cummins (@chrisccummins) May 28, 2022
He wasn’t there to be The Superstar, although he was, and he made sure to take time out for the little fans along the way. Okay, MvdP, I surrender.
It was a Giro to remember for meme-tastic Mathieu van der Poel. #giro https://t.co/xHKMlCj8vI pic.twitter.com/OrYh5GPPwj
— CyclingTips (@cyclingtips) May 31, 2022
Mathieu Van Der Poel is literally the coolest person alive, no? #Giro #Giro105 #GiroDItalia #Giro2022 https://t.co/9DoKL8cSlj
— Anna Mac (@AnnamacB) May 28, 2022
W is for Wanty Corner
You could say that Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert are punching above their weight … but are they? Why don’t we just decide that they are bloody brilliant, always bring their A game and are a team to be reckoned with?! This Giro, not only did we get the historic win from Biniam Girmay, but we also had a hard fought 5-star stage win (Stage 16) and 6th overall for Jan Hirt.
HEROES!
IWG place two riders in the final classification of the #Giro after Jan Hirt (6th) & Domenico Pozzovivo (8th) sealed their places in the closing time trial! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/ynzCPfhGkn
— Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) May 29, 2022
And an amazing 8th overall for Domenico Pozzovivo, who was sitting in the top 5 until a downhill skid-out off the Mortirolo on the stage Hirt won meant that he had to chase back with bloodied arms. Luckily, that downhill crash wasn’t anything as bad as his Giro crash in 2015 … or the one where he was hit by a car in 2019 …
Sensational. Biniam Girmay becomes the first black African to win a stage of the #Giro, pipping none other than Mathieu van der Poel to take line honours.
He said: “Everyone from the team pulled for me today, even the GC riders, Domenico Pozzovivo was amazing at the end… pic.twitter.com/CJVfZSQhzP
— Sophie Smith (@SophieSmith86) May 17, 2022
Domenico Pozzovivo on Giro d’Italia crash, GC losses: ‘I was unlucky in that moment, my career is like that’ https://t.co/XqBjsUePpl pic.twitter.com/AmP7agV9mX
— The Cycle Collective (@cyclecollective) May 25, 2022
2 years ago, he suffered an accident that required 16 surgeries.
4 months ago, he did not have a contract.
Today, 39-year-old Domenico Pozzovivo finished 8th of the #Giro.
Legend. pic.twitter.com/NtC78Eeg6w
— Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) May 29, 2022
X is for Xtra fast montage
Does what it says on the tin …
🤝@ShimanoROAD: Three weeks alongside the Race and the riders. Fatigue, joys, victories. All of this, together.
DURA-ACE. For Those Who Never Compromise.#RideShimano #ShimanoROAD #DuraAce pic.twitter.com/txarsIyjHN
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 31, 2022
Y is for YoYo
It’s a good thing that the Mighty Dis’s Guillaume Martin is a philosopher because anyone who yo-yos from victory to defeat, from front of the chasing group to the gruppetto, as much as he does would need a lot of mental strength to maintain their equilibrium. I suspect Martin die-hard fans could use a few breathing techniques and some Zen training for the rest of the season’s racing.
There's one race happening in Italy, and then there's Guillaume Martin's.
You've got to respect the Frenchman. He rides entire Grand Tours as if they're just one long, individual time trial.#Giro🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/EiKlMZpfjT
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) May 27, 2022
Of us who are Guillaume Martin fans are suffering the bad “yo” of his famous yo-yos today.
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) May 21, 2022
🇫🇷 Guillaume Martin after yesterday's stage: "I wasn't good. It frustrates me, especially because of the sacrifices I made for this #Giro. I want to apologise to my team. They had confidence in me, but I couldn't return the favor. We have to accept this and keep our heads up." https://t.co/sTrpIMQp1E
— Domestique (@Domestique___) May 25, 2022
I'm a big fan of the never-say-die attitude of the luscious-locked Guillaume Martin. #Giro105 https://t.co/p4uG0jF1tD
— Kit Nicholson (@kit_e_nicholson) May 22, 2022
Guillaume Martin letting his hair grow might be the best fashion decision he ever made tbh
— Idris (@Idthesheep) January 30, 2022
I’m telling you a 4 week GT would be a game changer for Guillaume Martin https://t.co/ycWb07veay
— Lena Kolumna (@reathina) May 30, 2022
Guillaume Martin doing Guillaume Martin things
— adam becket (@adambecket) May 24, 2022
He even has donkeys
I know we already have @ThibautPinot and his goats but what about Guillaume Martin and his donkeys?
😍😍😍
📸 : @GuilmMartin Instagram pic.twitter.com/e9X7jujROi
— Cycling What Ifs ❓ (@cyclingwhatifs) May 2, 2022
Z is for Zero stage wins
Teams with three stage wins: Alpecin-Fenix (1, 12, 18); Groupama-FDJ (5,.6,13); BikeExchange-Jayco (2, 14, 21).
With two stage wins: Bora-hansgrohe (4, 9); Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert (10, 16); and Jumbo-Visma (7, 19).
Single stage wins belong to: Lotto-Soudal (8); QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl (3); Bahrain Victorious (17); Team DSM (11); Trek-Segafredo (15); UAE Team Emirates (20).
Which leaves these teams empty-handed by the end of Giro 2022: Ag2r Citroen; Astana Qazaqstan; Cofidis; Drone Hopper-Androni Giacottoli; EF Education-Easy Post; Eolo Kometa; Ineos Grenadiers; Israel-Premier Tech; Movistar.
The winner of the team classification: that would be Bahrain-Victorious
When all your dreams come true.#Giro pic.twitter.com/MkMTd3NGA4
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2022
We have all the stage write-ups and all the Giro Tweets of the Week on the blog – go! Explore!