Poor Andreas Leknessund again left thinking what might've been at the Giro d'Italia

Andreas Leknessund missed out again on stage victory in stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia. The 27-year-old Norwegian of Uno-X Mobility was in the day’s break for a fifth time in this Giro, but finished second for the third time. In stage 17 he may have come closest of all, but Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) took the win.

"I think I rode a very good race, until the final kilometre," Leknessund sighed at the finish, speaking to the media gathered there. Physically shattered by another day in the breakaway, but even more mentally drained by another second place, he could not say much more.

"My plan was to attack after the top of that last little climb, but I was too far back in the group. So Valgren ended up doing what I had planned to do," lamented the rouleur, who had already been beaten earlier in this Giro by Jhonatan Narváez in stage 8 and Alberto Bettiol in stage 13.

Leknessund had already finished second in a Giro stage in 2023, riding for Team dsm-firmenich, and has now collected a quartet of silver medals. When asked how he is ever going to win one, he responded again with a deep sigh and a long silence.

"I was alone in that big group and I think I did it well."

"I did as little as possible and spent as much time as I could in the wheels," he analysed at last. "I felt good and hoped I was a bit fresher than the rest." After another pause and a proper shake of the head, he finished: "I had a plan, but I was simply too late".

With one more day guaranteed for the breakaway tomorrow, can Leknessund finally go one better in 2026?