"Maybe they do it for show?"; Movistar’s work frustrates sprinters

The two fastest sprinters of this year’s Giro d’Italia, Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan, were unable to contest the sprint in Novi Ligure on Thursday. The main reason was the work of Movistar, whose spearhead Orluis Aular ultimately finished sixth. This sparked some derision among the competition.

"It’s hard to understand Movistar’s tactics, to be honest," Magnier said bitterly after the stage. "Of course, they have a fast rider, but… maybe they do it for show? In the end, they drop the sprinters, but they don’t win."

The Soudal Quick-Step leader told his story to CyclingProNet. "I was at my limit on the first climb, and then came a short descent, but Movistar rode really hard. Maybe they also benefited from the motorbikes, but that’s part of the game. On the final climb, I hadn’t recovered yet, and even though we tried on the downhill, it was already too late."

Milan agreed: "I don’t know exactly how far behind we were. I tried to hang on as long as possible. Matteo Sobrero helped me a lot, and we tried to work together with Paul Magnier to come back, but with such a fast descent, it wasn’t easy. It was no longer possible to return."

Magnier now faces even more competition for the purple points jersey from Jhonatan Narvaez, who finished eighth. "I was surprised that I still had the jersey, but mostly disappointed that I couldn’t sprint at the end. The next chance is Sunday in Milan, and it’s really flat there, so that should suit me," he cautiously looked ahead.