Belgian time trial hope Alec Segaert struggles in Giro, but pink jersey offers consolation

Alec Segaert tried to manage expectations ahead of the time trial in the Giro d’Italia, but stage ten became a grueling test. The Belgian rider of Bahrain Victorious appeared to suffer from cramps near the finish and, after completing the 42-kilometer effort, went straight to his team rather than lingering.

Before the Giro, Segaert had high ambitions, with the individual time trial on stage ten as a key target. “I’m focused on the individual time trial, where I will ride the new Bianchi bike for the first time. It’s a long course that won’t lie. After a successful spring, I want to show myself again,” he said prior to the race start in Bulgaria.

After the opening week, he tempered his expectations in an interview with IDL ProCycling: “I’m not sure if I’m an outsider. It’s still a goal for me, and I want to get the most out of it. A long time trial is good, although a slightly shorter one would have suited me even better. It will be an honest battle, also with general classification riders who can handle this type of effort well.”

Segaert arrived at the time trial with strong form, having completed a long and taxing spring, which included victory in the GP de Denain. “I felt good in every race, even uphill. No complaints—the feeling on the road bike was good. I spent a lot of time on the time trial bike before the classics to be ready,” he explained.

Despite this preparation, things did not go perfectly. Sixteenth place is respectable, but a rider with his abilities had surely hoped for more. His brother, Loïc Segaert, told Eurosport: “I think Alec will also be disappointed. From the start, I felt he wasn’t perfect. His position, with his head slightly higher than usual, didn’t help.”

“There was also a last-minute change to the handlebars this Giro. Perhaps we overlooked something,” added Loïc, who coaches at Bahrain Victorious. “Going really low is crucial on this course, where aerodynamics matter. We saw he was definitely struggling.”

Segaert will need to quickly move past the disappointing performance, as surprisingly, his team leader **** still holds the pink jersey. After ten stages, the Portuguese rider leads the general classification by 27 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard of Visma | Lease a Bike.

“It’s a great feeling to ride in pink with the team. We wear it with pride,” Segaert said at the end of the first week. His brother added that a detailed analysis of the time trial would follow: “It was the first time on the Bianchi with a new setup. So there was a question mark, and now we know where we stand. We’ll check if it was the position or just a bad day.”

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])