Strava data reveals the raw power behind Vingegaard's first Giro attack

A slow build followed by a chaotic and explosive finale: that was the story of the opening weekend in Bulgaria. In both sprint stages and in the punchy stage two, the racing was quiet until the final kilometres. And then boom! The Strava data from the climb where Jonas Vingegaard launched his attack on Saturday gives a clear picture of just how fierce that finale really was.

In stage two to Veliko Tarnovo, where Guillermo Thomas Silva won for XDS Astana, top favourite Vingegaard threw down his first real challenge to his rivals. Only Lennert Van Eetvelt and Giulio Pellizzari could follow the Dane, while Jan Christen also tried his luck but cracked under the pace.

Although the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass was only 3.9 kilometres long, it gave a first revealing look at how the general classification contenders compare. A glance at the Strava segment confirms that the pace on the climb was extremely high. Van Eetvelt — who holds the KOM on the segment, in the absence of any published data from Vingegaard — averaged 23 kilometres per hour on the way up.

Moreover, the punishing pace translated into wattages on the Strava of EF rider Jefferson Alexander Cepeda. The Ecuadorian, who eventually crossed the finish line in 31st place, but did finish in the first group. In turn, Cepeda rode an average of over 400 watts. With the small Ecuadorian's weight, that would amount to about 7.5 watts per kilo.

And then the EF rider didn't even ride up with the best. In any case, the tone this Giro was immediately set on the first serious climb of the tour. However, it is important not to focus on this first explosion of power, as riders like Thymen Arensman can better use their strength on a longer climb. Friday's stage to Blockhaus will teach us even more about the relationships between Vingegaard and his closest rivals.