Classification, or not? Chris Harper breaks into top 10 and still hesitant on GC

Chris Harper was one of the few riders able to get away fairly quickly on Wednesday. His acceleration would ultimately spark the breakaway competing for the stage win, though in the finale the Australian from Pinarello-Q36.5 could not keep up. What he did achieve, however, was reclaiming minutes in the general classification. So what does this mean for the new tenth-placed rider?

A group of 25 initially broke away but was soon reeled in. Harper, alongside Mattias Bais (Polti VisitMalta) and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X) made a decisive attempt. Despite ongoing attacks behind them, it proved the right move: the Australian secured a spot in the leading group.

By that point, he had already expended considerable energy. "It was incredibly hard for me," he said afterward to CyclingPro. "Getting into the break felt like a second time trial. Even once we were in a strong group, we couldn’t gain a significant advantage for a while. Riders kept trying to jump away, so it was a real fight all day."

Ultimately, he was in contention for the stage win, but that chance was gone due to Enric Mas. "Regarding the finale: Mas launched an attack, and I simply didn’t have the legs to follow. I managed to find my rhythm again because every time the gradient eased, they also reduced the pace."

Harper was unable to respond later in the stage. "I was completely spent, and when the road got steep again, he attacked, and I simply didn’t have the legs to follow," he said candidly. Nevertheless, he gained three minutes in the GC, putting him tenth overall, 4:09 behind the maglia rosa.

Was he surprised by the room he got on the road? "Not really. The GC riders aren’t overly concerned about me. With all the tough mountain stages coming up, the big gaps will appear there. For me, regaining three minutes is fantastic," Harper admitted.

Looking ahead, he said, "First, it’s crucial to recover well, especially with the first big test coming Saturday. I’ll try to recover as best as I can to see what I can do in the mountains." Will he now ride for GC? "I’m aiming for every possible result. Every day, I want to do my best. If I’m in the break, I’ll go for the win."

"You can also be opportunistic and gain time, like I did today," he added, still uncertain. "I’m not saying I’ll be at the front every day. We’ll see how the race unfolds, but making up those three minutes is excellent," he concluded positively.