Groenewegen can put his finger right on the sore spot after the Giro sprint

As Dylan Groenewegen stands talking to the press — including IDL Pro Cycling — on Sofia's main boulevard, a cheer erupts just beyond the barriers. It is the eight men of Soudal Quick-Step, celebrating Paul Magnier's second stage win of this Giro d'Italia. "You can hear what that sounds like — that's what we want with this team," says Groenewegen.

The Dutch leader of Unibet Rose Rockets came to the Giro with a stage win as his goal, knowing that the first three days in Bulgaria would give him two immediate opportunities. On day one, the Amsterdammer crashed out in Burgas; two days later in Sofia, he came much closer.

"The team were brilliant," said Groenewegen — and he hit the nail on the head. From controller Hartthijs de Vries to lead-out man Elmar Reinders, the Rockets executed perfectly. But as so often in a sprint, the difference came down to the details. Groenewegen waited a fraction too long, allowing the other sprinters to take the inside line on the Bulgarian cobblestones.

"Where we fell short on day one, we got it right this time. But I should have gone earlier — with around 200 metres to go. I had the speed, so that was just stupid," said Groenewegen, putting his finger precisely on the problem.

Had the Dutchman taken the inside line first — and the fastest route to the finish — and hit the cobblestones with more speed, there would likely have been little anyone could do. Despite a late jump, he came up centimetres short. "It was too late, and I felt that immediately."

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Nevertheless, it was the first Grand Tour podium in the history of Unibet Rose Rockets — and we should not forget that Groenewegen had been riding with a dislocated shoulder since Friday. "But I'm not thinking about that now. A crash can always happen. We're here to win — now and in the first stage," he said. "This result is encouraging, but next time we want to win."

That next time comes in Naples, where the fast men head on stage 6. First, Groenewegen and his teammates have a rest day — flying out of Sofia to Italy on Sunday evening.