Guillaume Martin’s overall challenge at this Giro d’Italia seemed to have engulfed Mount Etna, but it reappeared in the shadow of a different volcano on stage eight. Saturday’s short and intense stage around Naples, and now his Giro is taking on a completely different color.
“I was so disappointed after that Etna stage. I prepared a lot for that stage and then wasted time there.” Martin Having stopped by bike at Via Caracciolo, Vesuvius was shimmering in the mist across the bay. “Now under another volcano, I’m getting a little better.”
Although the Cofidis rider had to settle for ninth on the stage, 33 seconds behind winner Thomas de Gendt (Loto Soudal), his efforts saw him jump 24 places to finish fourth in the overall standings. gyro. It is now only 1:06 down pink jacket Juan Pedro López (Trek-Segafredo), and, more relevantly, is 36 seconds ahead of Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco), who spent the entire opening week as the top contenders.
Like the desert flower that grows on the arid slopes of Vesuvius in Giacomo Leopardi genistraMartin’s overall ratings offering once again blossomed in an unlikely place. The 153km stage in the Naples hinterland featured four laps of a winding circuit over Monte di Prodica, and these classic miniatures seemed to fit the explosive racers of Matthew van der Poel (Albicin-Phoenix) or Beniam Germay (Intermarchy) -Wanty- Gobert Matériaux) instead of diesel like Martin.
Van der Poel and Jermay were aboard the 21-man break that formed in the opening kilometer as the race climbed towards Pozzuoli, but Martin’s presence on the move was even more surprising. In fact, the Cofidis rider emphasized that it hadn’t been thought of beforehand. After the race left the start from Piazza del Plebiscito, he had sat in the back of the peloton around the neutral zone.
“It wasn’t planned at all,” Martin said. “I think I was at the back of the peloton at zero kilometer and then went up when the road started to climb. I had good legs today and followed a step, but it wasn’t planned. Once I was in front I thought I needed to keep going.”
With a grueling lead to Blockhaus on Sunday, the other contenders for the attacking general classification were not tempted into Naples, but Martin thought it was impossible to avoid spending energy on a stressful and winding day like this. He stuck to his mission at the helm of the race.
“On a dangerous circuit like this, with all the corners, I didn’t think I was spending more energy up front than I would in the back, so I just kept going,” Martin said. “Having said that, I had to ride a lot in the wind in the end, of course, so I definitely used up quite a bit of energy there.
“But it was more fun to be up front like this than to fight for wheels in the peloton. I enjoyed it, even though it was tough with riders like Van der Poel and Jermay.”
In the early rings over Monte di Procida, Martin admitted he struggled with the ferocity of Van der Poel’s acceleration, but the degree of the race was more impressive as the laps went by. “I was on Van der Poel’s wheel the first time he attacked and soon he was 200 meters ahead of me,” Martin said. “My qualities are endurance and repeat efforts. As we did more and more climbing, I felt like I was getting better in the group and that’s encouraging for what’s to come.”
Although Martin missed the four-man winning step that was evident in front of him 40km, he had great consolation for his rise in the general classification. At one point, he was on the verge of becoming the default race leader, but Lopez’s Trek-Segafredo team did enough to make sure the Spaniard would enjoy at least one day at the pink jacket.
“Finally, I heard I wasn’t far from the pink jersey but then they accelerated in the peloton. I really didn’t believe this was going to happen, because I saw Trek was in control of things,” Martin said, though he put himself in a position to inherit Sunday shirt.
Martin is aware, of course, that his efforts in the Bay of Naples could take a toll when the race reaches more rugged terrain at Abruzzo on Sunday. Last year, at the Tour de France, Martin climbed to second overall after taking a break on the road to Quillan, but fell back to ninth when he stumbled in Andorra the next day. So it goes.
“I regained some time that I lost earlier in the race, but I hope I don’t lose weakness this time tomorrow,” Martin said. “But I am an attacking rider who loves to race up front. I prefer not to have any regrets.”