Eulálio (with GC ambitions!) and Segaert take full advantage in Giro, thanks to VeloViewer and Caruso

It couldn’t be better for Bahrain Victorious during this Giro d’Italia! The team has held the pink jersey since Stage 5 with Afonso Eulálio, and as the icing on the cake, Alec Segaert also claimed victory on Thursday’s Stage 12. The Belgian and Portuguese riders joined a lively post-race press conference after the stage.

Both riders were in high spirits, and it’s easy to see why. Segaert had just won a stage in which he launched a surprise attack in the final kilometers, leaving the peloton behind, which arrived too late for the sprint. Eulálio successfully defended his pink jersey for another day, even extending his lead.

The 24-year-old Portuguese rider has now held the leader’s jersey for seven days and enters Stage 13 on Friday with a 30-second advantage. That margin grew from 27 seconds, as Eulálio was the only rider to sprint for six bonus seconds at the Red Bull kilometer.

"The bonus seconds were practically free, and Damiano (Caruso) – who has been with me throughout this Giro – told me to go for it. I hesitated, but when I saw the others didn’t want to sprint, I thought: why not, these are free seconds."

When asked by IDL Procycling if he expects to survive the second week of the Giro in pink, Eulálio shook his head. Saturday brings a tough mountain stage with a summit finish after more than 16 kilometers climbing at 7%.

"It will be difficult to keep the pink jersey against Jonas Vingegaard, who has won the Tour de France twice. I’m 33 seconds ahead now, which probably won’t be enough. Whether it’s enough to stay ahead of the other riders, we’ll see. I’ll keep fighting."

Those aiming for a top-ten finish in the Giro will have to reckon with Eulálio, who – even if he loses the pink jersey – is determined to secure a strong overall placing. "As a team, we’ve had really tough days, losing our leader Buitrago in the early stages. But we kept fighting."

That Segaert won Stage 12 on Thursday was a fortunate coincidence for Eulálio. "Alec is my roommate; maybe I gave him a bit of pink energy from the jersey," he joked. "This team is perfect. We’re young, except for Damiano Caruso, and we constantly have fun together."

Eulálio also knew the importance of the stage: "This victory is huge for the team. We hadn’t won a stage in a Grand Tour since the 2023 Vuelta. Plus, we’ve kept the pink jersey, so it was a perfect day."

Segaert, meanwhile, revealed that he had a clear plan for Stage 12. "I used VeloViewer to see the best moment for a late attack in the finale. I spotted this section, so I already knew it was possible before the stage."

Segaert admitted that consulting Veloviewer wasn’t a guarantee for success. "There are a thousand scenarios, so sometimes you have to adapt. This time, however, everything went according to plan," he smiled. "The team atmosphere is excellent. We have the pink jersey, but I also get opportunities from the team, and I’m grateful. Today was one of those chances."

With a win in the GP de Denain, Segaert had already proven his instinct for attacking this season, which came in handy at the Giro’s highest level. "In cycling, it’s important to know what you can do and, equally, what you can’t. I’ll never be a rider who wins half of his races, but when I get a chance, I want to seize it."

"This is my way to win races, so when the opportunity arises, I like to go for victory. Tuesday’s time trial didn’t go as planned. I didn’t feel as I hoped and had some leg problems. That was frustrating because I couldn’t go all-out and show my full potential. But I quickly looked ahead to the next chances."

A brilliant attack brought even more joy to Bahrain Victorious. "My day started well because I woke up next to Afonso. He gave me the energy I needed," Segaert winked at his teammate. "I didn’t come to the Giro just for the time trial; now we continue to defend the pink."

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