2018 Giro d’ Italia: Stage 2 New, Notes and Quotes

Favorite Takes Stage Win

Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors), who was the hot favourite for Stage 2, won an expected bunch gallop in Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean seaside, while Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia) made it a 1-2 for Italian riders. Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing Team) moved into the lead as he won the only intermediate sprint awarding a time bonus to dethrone Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), thus becoming the ninth Australian to wear the Maglia Rosa and the 23rd cyclist to lead all three Grand Tours.

“It wasn’t easy to win today. I am usually very calm, but coming here after an excellent start to the season there was some pressure on me and I was a bit nervous, especially as many were tipping me as the main favourite in the bunch sprints. This victory is for Elena, my girlfriend; she knows how many sacrifices I have to do and is always supporting me, which means a lot”, a relieved Elia confessed after his first Giro d’Italia stage victory since 2015.

“The guys did an amazing job and I want to say a big thanks for that! Rémi took the responsibility on his shoulders and closed the breakaway, Styby brought us to the front, then Florian took over with two kilometers to go, before Michael and Saba dropped me in the closing kilometer. It was chaotic because of all those corners and roundabouts, but we can be proud of ourselves”, explained Elia, the 29th different rider to win a Grand Tour stage for Quick-Step Floors since the team’s inception.

Saturday’s victory and the points he gained at the two intermediate sprints propelled the Italian at the top of the cyclamen classification, making him the second Quick-Step Floors rider to wear a distinctive jersey at the Corsa Rosa, where Maximilian Schachmann continues to lead the youth rankings.

Rohan Dennis Moves Into Maglia Rosa

After a strong time trial on stage 1 of the Giro d’Italia, Rohan Dennis started stage 2 in second place on the General Classification and in an impressive display of teamwork and strength, was able to claim the Maglia Rosa after securing the maximum three bonus seconds at the second intermediate sprint, to overtake Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb).

 

With Dennis crossing the line in the middle of the peloton, the Maglia Rosa was confirmed, and Dennis cemented his place in history as one of only 21 riders to have worn all three Grand Tour leaders’ jerseys.

Dennis now leads Dumoulin by one second and Campenaerts by three seconds going into the final stage in Israel.

“The plan was to just play it by ear initially,” said Dennis. “We knew that the second sprint was the one with bonus time and we thought that if it was within grasp, and the breakaway wasn’t too far away, we would try. About 40km or 50km from the sprint, they asked me if I wanted to do and I said not really but we did it anyway and I thought that I can’t not put 100% into it. The team delivered me exactly where I needed to be for the sprint and all I had to do was go as hard as I could and there was no way I couldn’t win it. Then after that, it was about making sure I didn’t lose time in the splits in the final. It was massive teamwork.

“It’s a special feeling to have the Maglia Rosa. Yesterday was a bit disappointing but the team backed me today and the team did everything possible to put me into pink. It’s a great jersey and it’s a real honor to be the leader of a Grand Tour and for our team, we wanted to do it for Andy Rihs. He put a lot into our team and we wanted to give back to him and to do this for him and his family is a real pleasure for us. We will keep it as long as possible but I think for me it is more about learning still. I’m sure at some stage it will be taken away from me but I will keep fighting all the way to Rome.”

“When I first started cycling, I never thought that I would wear all Grand Tour leaders’ jerseys. I saw guys do things like this and I always thought that was really amazing so to be a part of that little group is a real honor,” he concluded.

 

By The Numbers

• Rohan Dennis is the 23rd cyclist to lead each of the three Grand Tours, after Eddy Merckx (201 stages or semi stages in the lead), Bernard Hinault (125), Jacques Anquetil (110), Miguel Indurain (93), Francesco Moser (71), Alberto Contador (66), Alex Zülle (64), Vincenzo Nibali (60), Felice Gimondi (46), Freddy Maertens (37), Laurent Jalabert (36), Dietrich Thurau (27), Bradley Wiggins (19), Rik van Looy (17), Cadel Evans (15), Rik van Steenbergen (11), Thierry Marie, Raphaël Geminiani, Fabio Aru (10), Bradley McGee (9), David Millar and Mark Cavendish (7).
• Rohan Dennis is the ninth Australian to lead the Giro d’Italia after Cadel Evans, Bradley McGee, Robbie McEwen, Brett Lancaster, Richie Porte, Michael Matthews, Simon Gerrans and Simon Clarke.
• It’s Elia Viviani’s second stage win at the Giro d’Italia – also on stage 2 back in 2015.
• It’s the third podium at the Giro d’Italia for Jakub Mareczko after two second places last year, and the fifth for Sam Bennett who was three times third and once second last year.