GIRO’24 Stage 9: Sprint Day in Naples Goes to Olav Kooij… Merely!

Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage Report: All people thought it was going to be a sprinter’s stage, in addition to Jhonathan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers). The Ecuadorian attacked on the climb sooner than the top to solo to the top in Naples. His plan virtually labored, as a result of the sprinters solely caught him 50 metres from the top line. Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) took the win by the slimmest of margins ahead of things chief, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). There was no change on the excessive of the chief board going into the first leisure day. Tadej Pogačar stays in pink.

The final word kilometre

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Large win for Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike)

Olav Kooij’s took his first stage victory in a Grand Tour on Sunday. The Dutchman of Visma | Lease a Bike took the victory in Naples – after an in depth fought finale. After an assault on the ultimate climb from Jhonathan Narváez, it appeared identical to the INEOS Grenadiers rider had the win, nonetheless he was handed by the sprinters throughout the last metres.

Giro stage 9

The route is cut up into two parts, with the first 180km serving as an methodology to the tough stage finale. The route begins on fast and principally straight roads, passing by means of a lot of tunnels, runs alongside the Tyrrhenian coast and reaches Monte di Procida for a difficult stage finale. The roads are properly surfaced nonetheless slim, with a succession of bends, and at all times altering gradients. Earlier Torregaveta, in Baia, the route kicks up at a 14% gradient to Lago Lucrino, heads within the route of Pozzuoli and Posillipo, after which takes a protracted descent down the By means of Petrarca ensuing within the final kilometres throughout the metropolis centre. The ultimate 3 pan flat kilometres run eastwards alongside the By means of Dohrn and By means of Caracciolo. On the ultimate km, the route takes a U-turn at a roundabout, and returns alongside the By means of Caracciolo all the easiest way to the top. The home straight (900m) is on 9m huge tarmac.

Sunday’s start in Avezzano

The stage seemed to be for the strong sprinters, nonetheless it would moreover swimsuit a late attacker. Non starter instantly was Alexey Lutsenko, the Kazakh champion of Astana Qazaqstan, who had a nasty throughout the mountain stage to Prato di Tivo on Saturday, wasn’t initially due to illness.

It should be a day for sprinter Jonathan Milan

After a delay due to a puncture by Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, the 163 remaining riders started the ultimate stage sooner than the first leisure day. After the official start, two riders from Group Polti Kometa attacked immediately. They’ve been the Italians Mirco Maestri and Andrea Pietrobon. Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) gave chase, nonetheless was not strong ample to get all through.

Will it’s a greater day to Napoli for Tadej Pogačar and Cian Uijtdebroeks

The peloton weren’t too bothered and let Maestri and Pietrobon go. The lead of the two Polti-Kometa riders was merely over 2 minutes after 20 kilometres. Throughout the peloton, it was Alpecin-Deceuninck who set the tempo, nonetheless it wasn’t fast. The Belgian workforce have been working for his or her sprinter, Kaden Groves.

The leaders initially of the day

The lead of the two fluctuated spherical 2:30 for a really very long time, nonetheless Alpecin-Deceuninck let the excellence improve to 4 minutes. This was to be the utmost profit for Maestri and Pietrobon, who had no likelihood of a doable stage victory. There will be an inevitable regrouping, nonetheless Davide Ballerini counter-attacked.

The ‘break of the day’: Andrea Pietrobon and Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa)

The Italian didn’t deal with to get away, nonetheless he did encourage totally different riders to make a switch. There was then quite a few nervousness throughout the peloton, with further assaults. Alpecin-Deceuninck and BORA-hansgrohe, for Danny van Poppel, lined the entire assaults and shut down the entire strikes. It then turned fairly a bit calmer throughout the peloton and the escapees took a bit of additional time.

Pink shorts for Tadej instantly

Maestri and Pietrobon obtained right here by means of first intermediate sprint of the day. In Mondragone, Pietrobon took full components ahead of his teammate. Throughout the peloton, Tim Merlier, who’s combating a painful groin after a fall throughout the time trial, was too fast for the purple jersey Jonathan Milan, Olav Kooij and Kaden Groves for six components.

Alpecin-Deceuninck wanted to take care of the Polti-Kometa boys shut

After the intermediate sprint in Mondragone, the tempo throughout the peloton elevated, with the hilly finale in ideas. 57 kilometres to go, there was a crash throughout the peloton. Geraint Thomas crashed merely after a roundabout. The 37-year-old INEOS rider didn’t look injured and shortly obtained once more on the bike and was launched once more to the peloton by Tobias Foss and Ben Swift.

The 2024 Giro heads within the route of its most southerly stage – Napoli

After a quick chase, Thomas managed to rejoin the peloton, merely in time for the important hills within the route of the top in Naples. After the second and last intermediate sprint in Giugliano in Campania, the place Groves took the components, it was time for the one categorised climb of the day: the Monte di Procida (4.1km at 3%). On the climb, sprinters Fabio Jakobsen and Merlier have been dropped.

Pietrobon and Maestri have been solely allowed 2 minutes

Whereas not rather a lot occurred on the first climb, the race obtained right here alive on the next climb to Lucrino (1.1km at 6.7%). It was Julian Alaphilippe who started the movement and handed the break of Pietrobon and Maestri. The Frenchman, who was second on the gravel stage to Rapolano Terme, had Nicola Conci on his wheel. Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich) and Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B Lodges) moreover joined them.

The remaining day in Naples is on the horizon

These seven riders, Pietrobon and Maestri managed to hold on, created a lead of about 20 seconds. The peloton was not far behind and nonetheless had the state of affairs beneath administration. Inside the principle group, Conci didn’t want to work and this didn’t help the co-operation. Alaphilippe and Costiou decided to leap away from the group and push on to the final word climb of the day.

Pizza for the Giro in Napoli

The two Frenchmen hoped to start out out the final word climb (3.2km at 4.4%) to Posillipo, a historic district throughout the southwest of Naples, with a worthwhile lead. Throughout the thinned out peloton, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek labored collectively of their need for a splash. The lead of Alaphilippe and Costiou continued to return again down and easily sooner than the start of the final word climb it appeared like they’d be caught. The two leaders started the ultimate climb with a small very profit, nonetheless that that they had little likelihood.

Ewen Costiou (Arkea-B&B Lodges) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) gave it a try

Alaphilippe was not going to give up. The double World champion had one factor left and acknowledged goodbye to Costiou and hoped to solo to the top in Naples. Throughout the group behind them, the knives have been being sharpened for a counter assault. Merely sooner than the summit, Jhonathan Narváez observed his likelihood. The winner of the opening stage to Turin accelerated earlier the struggling Alaphilippe.

Jhonatan Narvaez (INEOS Grenadiers) obtained right here so shut

Alaphilippe was caught and left behind by the peloton, Narváez started the ultimate 7 flat kilometres with a lead. Two kilometres from the top, his lead was 10 seconds, nonetheless was this ample? It appeared favor it for a really very long time, nonetheless Narváez turned out to be unable to maintain up his consequence within the street. Ensuing from a sturdy pull on the doorway by pink jersey wearer Pogačar for his teammate Juan Sebastián Molano, the sprinters have been thundering to the street. Narváez was handed by Milan and Kooij merely 50 meters from the top. The Italian was the first to start out out the sprint, nonetheless this time he was overwhelmed by the Dutchman. Kooij took the win, his first in a GT. Milan obtained right here second, Molano third.

Narváes was solely merely handed sooner than the street by the sprinters

Stage winner, Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike): “My first Grand Tour stage win was what I was looking out for nonetheless it’s been a difficult and unlucky first week for our workforce and a tricky stage instantly. We weren’t constructive to catch the breakaway riders nonetheless the workforce remained devoted. The fellows put me in a very excellent place. It’s been tight nonetheless I truly wanted this major Grand Tour win and I hope there are quite a few further to return again.”

Olav Kooij took his first Grand Tour win

The Maglia Rosa, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates): “I haven’t change right into a lead-out man, nonetheless Molano did a superb job to be on the doorway throughout the finale. He didn’t get the win nonetheless third is an environment friendly consequence and I was happy to help buddy. I’ve a cosy profit sooner than the first leisure day. It’s good to settle down in Napoli. We already have seen beautiful sceneries as a result of the start of the Giro. Proper right here I’ll add some pizza to make it good for constructive sooner than we resume racing on Tuesday.”

Leisure day photos in pink for Tadej

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Giro d’Italia Stage 9 Consequence:
1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike in 4:44:22
2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Juan Sebastián Molano (Col) UAE Group Emirates
4. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor
5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Madis Mihkels (Est) Intermarché-Wanty
7. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck
8. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
9. Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
10. Max Kanter (Ger) Astana Qazaqstan.

Giro d’Italia Common After Stage 9:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Group Emirates in 32:59:04
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) BORA-hansgrohe at 2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 2:58
4. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at 3:39
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike at 4:02
6. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious at 4:23
7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan at 5:15
8. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar at 5:28
9. Thymen Arensman (Ned) INEOS Grenadiers at 5:30
10. Jan Hirt (CZ) Soudal Quick-Step at 5:53.

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