Vincenzo Nibali’s prediction of a podium end won’t fairly come true, however Antonio Tiberi has proven sufficient on this Giro d’Italia to counsel that he has a future as a Grand Tour rider.
With 4 phases remaining, the Italian lies fifth total at 10:29, whereas the white jersey of finest younger rider sits somewhat extra snugly on the Bahrain Victorious rider’s shoulders after the summit end on the Passo Brocon on stage 17.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates), as per the established script of this Giro, was working on an altogether greater aircraft on Wednesday, urgent clear with disarming facility with two kilometres to go. Tiberi, nevertheless, was as soon as once more among the many most pugnacious of the group of GC contenders behind Pogačar, accelerating within the ultimate kilometre to take third place on the stage behind the maglia rosa and the day’s winner Georg Steinhauser (EF Schooling-EasyPost).
Small surprise that Tiberi wore a broad smile when he arrived within the blended zone after the rostrum ceremony. This Giro was couched as an audition for his future prospects as the approaching man of Italian stage racing, and he has steadied himself significantly after a quick wobble on the tappone to Livigno on Sunday.
“At present was an excellent day for me,” Tiberi mentioned. “I’m actually very completely happy. The legs have been nice all day and the ultimate climb went very effectively. In the long run I attempted to observe Pogačar, however the rhythm was too excessive. I nonetheless did a little bit of an assault and gained time on Ben O’Connor and Thymen Arensman.”
Tiberi earned plaudits from Pogačar for his assaults at Prati di Tivo and Bocca della Selva earlier within the race, and he was once more eager to push on the tempo within the finale right here. After rapidly realising that Pogačar was travelling at a pace he merely couldn’t match, Tiberi recalibrated and saved his effort for inside the ultimate kilometre.
By then, Tiberi knew he was gaining floor on the fourth-placed O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and on Arenseman (Ineos Grenadiers), his rival for the white jersey, so he compelled the tempo on the head of a gaggle that includes Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Daniel Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe). Tiberi got here house in third, 1:24 down on Steinhauser, however he picked up 17 seconds on Arensman and 45 on O’Connor.
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“Originally, we tried to observe Tadej, however the tempo was too arduous for me, Martínez and Thomas,” Tiberi mentioned. “However I nonetheless tried to do some assaults, particularly after I noticed O’Connor and Arensman had been dropped. I did the final 700m at full gasoline to attempt to acquire time on them.”
Within the younger rider classification, Tiberi now leads Arensman by 41 seconds. Whereas the Frosinone native can also be lower than a minute off O’Connor’s fourth place within the total standings, although he acknowledged {that a} podium end is probably going out of attain, regardless of a rugged stage to Sappada on Friday and a double ascent of Monte Grappa the next day.
“For the rostrum, it’s arduous as a result of Martínez and Thomas are nonetheless going effectively they usually’re at all times up there,” Tiberi mentioned. “However I’ll definitely give all the pieces for fourth place till Bassano del Grappa.”
Tiberi is a Giro debutant, together with his earlier Grand Tour expertise restricted to 2 appearances on the Vuelta a España. He completed 18th total in Madrid final 12 months, however he lined up as Bahrain Victorious’ chief for this Giro with the goal of faring significantly higher. He confessed to feeling that strain earlier within the race, however the 22-year-old has seemed extra assured because the race has passed by. The lone apparent disaster got here at Livigno, the place he paid for his efforts in the day gone by’s time trial.
“That is giving me a whole lot of confidence,” Tiberi mentioned. “I hoped for it after the expertise within the Vuelta, as a result of I used to be at all times good in third week. I’ve had a affirmation of that right here and I feel I’ve gone higher than anticipated. Now let’s hope I can keep like that till Rome.”
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