"We are sticking to the rules and trying to do things in the right way possible. I was never told that the race would stop. However, it really depends on what the Government will decide, it is he who will decide before us whether to race or no. The Giro is an international heritage and I would think twice before stopping it. "
The words, spoken to Rai microphones, by Vincenzo Nibali give a good idea of what the atmosphere is at the Giro d'Italia.
More than the victory of the excellent Diego Ulissi, the Tuscan's second solo show in this 2020 edition, we talk about the future, or rather if the Corsa Rosa will reach the end, in Milan, on 25 October.
The request of the American EF team to suspend the race because the anti-Covid security conditions would have failed was rejected by the UCI and outraged the caravan.
The position of everyone was made explicit by Gianni Savio, team manager of Androni Giocattoli: "what EF did is something absolutely inappropriate, unspeakable, totally shameful. I believe it is a total lack of respect for the organization and also towards us. At the very least they should have consulted all the other teams ".
All right, but whether it is the case to move forward is something we talk about.
"For example, I see many teams that also have restaurant trucks - Nibali says again about it -, many have complained that people have entered the hotels together. We were isolated elsewhere and with isolated rooms, we were the bubble There is, however, that a case could come out. Today, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed people without masks on the climbs and therefore I ask everyone to wear a mask, for us and for you ".
In the meantime, we move on and the pink jersey Joao Almeida gains a few seconds on the most direct pursuers, as he places second, behind only Ulissi, in the sprint that assigns the victory in this stage, which included a lot of plain but with two Gpm as Roccolo and Calaone in the final, authentic walls with slopes that touch 17-18%.
Just in those situations, pushed by the extensions of Ulissi and the British Geoghegan, twenty remained in front, among which Almeida who had previously put his team to work to gain ground on Sagan, who remained detached.
Uphill also Nibali pedaled well, who in the final sprint pulled for Ulissi, came out well and good at resisting the return of Almeida and the Austrian Konrad.