Cette 6e étape du Tour d'Italie sentait bon les Strade Bianche et promettait une nouvelle journée animée sur cette 107e édition, et elle n'a pas déçu, en tout cas en ce qui concerne la victoire d'étape. Avalés à toute allure, les 180 kilomètres du parcours - dont les trois chemins empierrés d'une longueur totale de 11,6 bornes - ont été le théâtre d'une bataille intense qui a souri à Pelayo Sanchez dans les rues de Rapolano Terme ! Membre de l'échappée de sept puis trois coureurs qui s'est dégagée à mi-parcours et qui a résisté de peu au retour du peloton, le jeune espagnol de la Movistar a dominé au sprint Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) et Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) à l'issue d'un final à suspense. Intenable toute la journée, le Français laisse passer une très belle occasion de s'imposer sur ce Giro.
Video : GirodItalia
Video : GirodItalia
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00:00Stage number 6, this famous Tascan stage that has produced drama from the flag drop in Villarejo.
00:09And here we come, Platt passed and beaten Sanchez now, trying to get alongside Julian Alaphilippe.
00:14Sanchez pushing for the line, it's going to be Sanchez and Alaphilippe.
00:18And Sanchez gets there, he can't believe it. What a victory from the man from Movistar.
00:23A shake of the head from Alaphilippe, but that was sensational.
00:28What a way to win a first Grand Tour stage.
00:49How much is it Strade Bianche today or not at all?
00:53No, it's not like Strade Bianche today. There's one sector, two sectors from Strade, but then on top of that is just another one.
01:04So I don't think it's a Grand Tour, it's not a one-day race, so it's completely different racing.
01:11But yeah, still it's going to be fun to watch on the TV.
01:15Do you aim at a quiet day, knowing that then there is a time trial, then nothing finishes?
01:21No, I don't think it's going to be a quiet day. I mean, I hope so.
01:25But yeah, I think a lot of people want to go and break away today or just try to go for the stage,
01:31because there's a lot of guys that can win today's stage.
01:35And for sure, a lot of them were already targeting this much before Giro.
01:42So yeah, it can be a really hard day.
01:44They haven't needed to be, but today will be a big, big day of work for you, your team members.
01:50Off they go then. The neutralized start, the rollout begins.
01:53There's only four kilometers of neutralized rollout today, so it won't be long before the racing gets underway.
01:57And when they get away from the coast and out of Viereggio and the roads open up,
02:02it'll be quite interesting to see what effect the wind has.
02:05Hard to see from those treetops just how strong it is.
02:07A special task in today's stage for yourself, for Geraint Thomas?
02:12It's going to be really crucial.
02:14We see that the wind is going to play, I think, quite a big role in today's stage,
02:19especially when you're on top of these mountains.
02:22It can be quite gusty with the way the wind funnels on top of these valleys.
02:29So I think it's going to be really important to stay near the front, control the breakaway,
02:34and get into these first gravel sectors in good position in case there's any chaos that happens.
02:40To zero. And that, it won't happen again.
02:46Peterbrook's right on the front row here, isn't he?
02:51Here we go. The attacks are starting straight from the garden.
02:54It's EF Education Easy Post. Ryder coming off the rear wheel of the director's car.
03:03Alaphilippe just having a little drink from his bidon back in the cage.
03:06These three continuing to rotate, work really well.
03:09Alaphilippe looking around to see who's coming across.
03:12I thought it was an Ineos Grenadier.
03:14The archetypal, typical flagstones.
03:16And Julien Alaphilippe just waving Fiorelli through, saying,
03:19go on, you have the points, we're not interested.
03:21Just a little nod of the head there.
03:23So Fiorelli just checking that was okay with Alaphilippe, who's the patron.
03:26Oh, look how steep that is.
03:28Gets up and over the top and that's it for the climb.
03:33And now they'll drop down a little bit,
03:35but then it'll be just bumpy for the next 15, 20 kilometres.
03:38Yeah, right through the centre of the old town.
03:40Lovely. What a sight.
03:41What do you know about the gravel roads?
03:43I did a recon here in March after Paris-Nice.
03:47They're actually quite beautiful roads.
03:49It's not too much gravel and it looks pretty safe.
03:52So hopefully we can be at the front and look,
03:55as long as everyone gets through today safe in the peloton,
03:57I think that's the main thing.
03:58You'd hate to see someone lose the race because of the gravel today.
04:02He's got 12 slender seconds at that.
04:05And it's one of the most preeminent sprinters
04:07who's up the road on a hilly stage.
04:09Alaphilippe slots onto the back of that group.
04:12Yeah, so the three riders trying to get across are Plap,
04:15Matteo Trentin and Martin Marcellucci from a VF group, Bardiani.
04:19Solid little group.
04:21Other than that, everyone else is, I think, back.
04:23They've been taken back by the peloton.
04:25So we've got six riders off the front, two groups of three.
04:27There we are, and they're coming together.
04:29Yep.
04:30Blaio Sanchez, a 24-year-old from Delego,
04:34slots onto the wheel of Caden Groves.
04:37There you are.
04:38It's Lefevre.
04:39There we go.
04:40All this sweetness and light between one of his star riders and the boss.
04:43Lefevre on bottle duty.
04:46And Fiorelli, what's the understanding?
04:48And what agreements have they reached, if any?
04:50Or are they going to try and duke this one out?
04:52I think they're going to duke it out.
04:55And Les Pere already wants to cue a second.
04:58I think that's it.
04:59I think Fiorelli is perfectly happy, really,
05:01to just pick up second place at these points and allow Caden Groves.
05:05And that way you protect the harmony in the group.
05:07Yes.
05:08These two riders interested.
05:10Again, riding for his squad.
05:13There we go.
05:14Straight on to the gravel.
05:15It's not over, like you say.
05:16There's bits of tarmac.
05:17Oh, looks like Luke Platt lost something from his back pocket there.
05:20And Fiorelli, not exactly driving hard,
05:23but he's picked a line on the left-hand side as the dust kicks up.
05:27Cloud dust!
05:28Visibility is zero,
05:30quite apart from the dust that's going to go down your throat and into your eyes.
05:33Yeah, it's pretty brutal stuff, isn't it?
05:35Wonderful images, though.
05:37And a little coming together again.
05:39Just on the inside of this curve,
05:41the white jersey going around is Martinez, I think,
05:43who touches the wheel of Ben O'Connor.
05:48Yeah, it's those two riders who come together,
05:50delaying until about ten.
05:52Look at that.
05:53What a lovely shot.
05:54That is fantastic, isn't it?
05:57Feast your eyes.
05:59Well, that's Siena in the background, isn't it?
06:01It is.
06:02It's the famous skyline of Siena,
06:05the finish line of Ostrade Bianche.
06:07Having a little word or two.
06:09Ride together, don't attack, is what it basically said in European.
06:12Yeah.
06:14And then, well, are we going to ride or not?
06:16Well, yeah.
06:17Just get the bottle.
06:19All right, calm down.
06:20Okay.
06:21He's got Navas guarding his rear wheel.
06:23He's got Arendsman on the front.
06:25Ineos Grenadiers have controlled the gravel sectors today.
06:28Yeah, it's control, discipline and strength.
06:30See the way that he just squeezed again over the top there.
06:33A little bit of a gap opened up as well.
06:35And the gap being left by Grosch-Hartnett.
06:37So we've got three Ineos Grenadiers and Tadej Bogacar
06:40and a little bit of a gap here.
06:41Arendsman really has turned things around
06:44after that disappointing performance.
06:46He had his eyes on GC.
06:47Oh, what happened?
06:48Oh, hit the...
06:49Oh, just completely got that corner wrong.
06:52And nearly...
06:53You see the back wheel of Alaphilippe.
06:55He did well to hold that up.
06:56High-handling from Alaphilippe.
06:57Stage number six.
06:58This famous Tascan stage that has produced drama
07:01from the flag drop in Villarejo.
07:03And here we come.
07:04Platt passed and beaten.
07:05Sanchez now trying to get alongside Julian Alaphilippe.
07:08Sanchez pushing for the line.
07:10It's going to be Sanchez and Alaphilippe.
07:12And Sanchez gets there.
07:14He can't believe it.
07:15What a victory from the man from Movistar.
07:17A shake of the head from Alaphilippe.
07:19But that was sensational.
07:22What a way to win a first Grand Tour stage.