Giro d'Italia: Dainese gives Italy first win with stunning sprint

By Sports Desk May 18, 2022

Alberto Dainese gave Italy its first success of the 2022 Giro d'Italia as he claimed victory with a stunning late sprint on stage 11.

Dainese came from way back on the final sprint to the line at the end of the 203km flat stage from Santarcangelo di Romagna to Reggio Emilia.

The DSM rider appeared to have been boxed in but found an infusion of pace when it mattered most to get his wheel just ahead of that of Fernando Gaviria.

It marked Dainese's first win since the opening stage of the Herald Sun Tour in February 2020.

That is a gap of 833 days, with Dainese saying afterwards: "It feels pretty amazing."

Dainese, whose home stage will come on stage 18 when the Giro heads to Treviso, added: "Especially being so close to home, it's something incredible.

"I cannot believe it happened, I'm super happy."

The sprint came after Dries De Bondt was reeled in going into the final kilometre following his solo breakaway.

General classification leader Juan Pedro Lopez was predictably not in the mix for the stage win but keeps ahold of the maglia rosa.

Dainese hails Bardet after ending wait

While Lopez did not feature prominently at the end of the stage, his GC rival Romain Bardet gave Dainese a key lead-out to set him up for triumph.

Dainese said: "I was just trying to stay relaxed, following the guys, it's insane that Romain sitting third in GC (now fourth) gave me a lead-out to the last corner, that shows we really work as a team.

"I was a bit boxed in but then I found a gap on the left and I just went to the line, I think I had Gaviria on the right, the last 20 metres I could pass him, that feels super."

At 24 years, one month and 23 days, Dainese is the youngest Italian to win at the Giro since 2016.

STAGE RESULT  

1. Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) 4:19:04
2. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) same time
3. Simone Consonni (Cofidis) same time
4. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) same time
5. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) same time

CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS   

General Classification  

1. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 46:43:12
2. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +0:12
3. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:12

Points Classification

1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 173
2. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 96
3. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 91

King of the Mountains  

1. Diego Rosa (Eolo-Kometa) 83
2. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 69
3. Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 43

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