CYCLING – Alec Segaert secured Team Bahrain Victorious’ first stage victory at this year’s Giro d’Italia yesterday, taking first place following a late attack with two kilometres to go, while teammate Afonso Eulalio kept both the Maglia Rosa for overall race leader and the Maglia Bianca for best young rider.
The Giro’s 175-kilometre 12th leg, from Imperia to Novi Ligure, took the race away from the Ligurian coast and into Piemonte, with the main climbs later turning into flat roads towards a tightly contested finish.
Segaert made the moment count.
The Belgian attacked inside the final kilometres and opened a gap as the group behind hesitated.
From there, he committed fully to the line, using his time trial strength to hold off the chase and take his first-ever Giro d’Italia stage victory.
“It’s crazy,” said an elated Segaert. “I always try to make plans before every stage, looking at where there could be possibilities, and today I had that chance from the team.”
“When things go to plan and you get rewarded with such a big win, that is what cycling is about.”
Toon Aerts of Lotto Intermarche finished second, three seconds behind Segaert, with Guillermo Thomas Silva of XDS Astana Team completing the podium.
“The Giro is a special race for me, and I really wanted to win a stage here,” Segaert added.
“I was not fully happy with my time trial, but in cycling it is also about emotions – sometimes you get pushed to the ground and you need to bounce back as hard as you can. It is not the first time I have had to do that, and this kind of reward is what you do it all for.”
“I think I still need some time to realise what happened. I just opened my phone and saw all the messages, and standing here with the medal also makes me understand that I did something big. Of course, I will remember this for a long time.”
Behind the fight for the stage, Eulalio finished safely with the support of his teammates and kept both the Maglia Rosa and Maglia Bianca.
The Portuguese rider also extended his race lead by winning the King of the Mountains and taking six bonus seconds, adding another small but important gain in the general classification.
Eulalio now leads the overall ranking ahead of Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike by 33 seconds as the team continues the strikes of pink in this Giro d’Italia.
“Today was a perfect day – we kept the jersey and we won the stage with Alec, which is amazing,” expressed Eulalio.
“The Maglia Rosa gives us strong power, and maybe it also gave something to Alec because yesterday was the first time we were roommates, and today he won the stage.”
“For the team, after three years without a victory in a Grand Tour, to win here with Alec and still have the jersey is perfect. We are doing a super good Giro.”
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