A grand tour is always about more than just the final podium – there are battles within battles within battles. And there are always one or two heartwarming stories that restore your faith in whatever you’ve lost faith in … The 2019 Giro d’Italia was no exception. It had it all – including some horrific weather – and while it might not have been the most exciting Giro on record, it certainly had something interesting, confusing or astonishing every day.
On a finishing stretch rendered treacherous with torrential rain, Pascal Ackermann (BORA-hansgrohe) surfed the spray of Fernando Gaviria‘s (UAE Emirates) wheel, the latter his unwitting poisson-pilote, allowing Ackermann to smoke everyone to land his second victory in stage 5 of the 2019 Giro d’Italia. Gaviria was (a very close) runner-up with a distant Arnaud Demare (Groupama – FDJ) rounding out the podium. There were no changes on GC as all the contenders crossed the line safely together after their race had been neutralised. Race leader Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) has added a pink “waterproof” jacket to his rosy coloured swag.
New names scoring a maiden win. Familiar names making a mark in their first Grand Tour or stepping up their game from their first. Whatever the reason, these are the young guns that have forced their way into the minds of the VeloVoices. Let us know if we haven’t included yours and VOTE NOW!
Previous winners: 2012 – Taylor Phinney; 2013 – Nairo Quintana; 2014 – Michal Kwiatkowski; 2015 – Esteban Chaves; 2016 – Adam Yates & Leah Kirchmann; 2017- Coryn Rivera