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João Almeida (Deceuninck-QuickStep) endured what he called the “celebration of suffering” in the fifteenth stage to take the lead of the general from Volta to Italy by bicycle, promising to “defend the pink jersey” as far as he can.
Almeida explained to journalists that it was “a party of suffering until the end” and that he was already waiting for “someone to attack”, coming second behind the general, the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb), who was “super strong” .
This was won by 25-year-old British Tao Geoghegan Hart (INEOS), who completed 185 kilometers between Rivolto air base and Piancavallo in 4: 58.52 hours, two seconds ahead of Kelderman, who was runner-up, and four seconds ahead of Australian Jai Hindley (Sunweb), third.
Almeida, fourth, at 37 seconds, lost 35 seconds to Kelderman, who still added a bonus for second place, but kept the pink jersey, 15 seconds ahead of the Dutchman, with Hindley in third place, 2.56 minutes , and much of it. of the remaining favorites now more distant from the Portuguese.
From now on, he says, the goal “is the same.” “I will continue to defend the shirt and we will see how far I can go. Without the team, this would not be possible. It is less than 20 seconds. [de margem], but I’ll defend myself ”, he shot.
Even with an “almost impossible, very difficult” goal to win the Giro on his grand tour debut, and at 22, “holding the rose” a record number of days, 13, for a sub-23 is “very special”.
In the “hardest day so far”, he ended up doing much of the final ascent to the finish line in Piancavallo alone, because “there was no one left”, but he thanked the team, without whom “this would not be possible”, he has even isolated himself in the final kilometers.
“I took off my headphones [do rádio] because I was so focused on doing my best. I was really trying my best to hold the pink shirt, “he explained.
He is “very happy” to continue with the “pink jersey” and guaranteed that the second day of rest, Monday, will help defend the leadership in the coming days, after today “Kelderman was super”, but “not if you can be super every day “.
“We will try another day,” he assured.
On Monday the second and last rest day is completed, before a final week of competition, with six stages, marked by the high mountains, before the time trial of the 21st stage, in Milan.
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