Tadej Pogacar began Saturday as the clear favorite in the Giro d'Italia's opening stage, but he ended up taking third place. The leader of UAE-Team Emirates couldn't outpace Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) and was overtaken by the Ecuadorian at the finish line.
"It was a short, fast first day of the Giro. We tried to control the stage, but it wasn't our day. However, I think we still did well, especially for a first day like this in a long grand tour. Those are always 50-50 days: some riders struggle, others struggle more. You also see that in our team," said Pogacar, who saw Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman lose time from his opponents.
His UAE teammates fell back early on, which impacted their strategy. "Unfortunately, I had to launch my attack from the bottom of the final climb, where Narváez was also very strong and could follow my wheel. The gap to the group ahead was too big and I had to give everything to close it. The fact that I managed to drop all the GC riders is a good sign for my legs."
Pogacar is taking it step by step, day by day this Giro
"When we reached the top, I knew it would be hard to drop Narváez. It's been a while since I've sprinted with three people and I went for it too early. My legs were good, but he was just faster than me. I didn't have much of a chance, but I can look back on a strong effort," he further shared through his team's channels.
"Step by step, day by day, it should get better. Sunday's stage to Oropa suits us better, but we first have to see how the legs feel after recovering from this first stage," the Slovenian of UAE-Team Emirates remarked. "I'm looking forward to a great Giro. It was a fun start here in Turin, with lots of nice people. I really enjoyed that."
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