What Roglic did in the dreaded Giro time trial: stage and virtual champion at the gates of Rome

This 106th edition of the Giro d’Italia deserves a competitive finish as experienced in 20th and final episode of Corsa Rosa This Saturday, a mixed time trial, with 10 flat kilometers and almost eight of a terrible climb. A CRI where Welsh Geraint Thomas He started with a 26-second margin against the Slovenian Roglic is a cousin in front of the general classification. 26 seconds that seemed impossible to overcome for some fans and not for others, more than knowing the bad luck that has traditionally haunted these two great riders at certain moments in their professional careers.

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In favor of Thomas, it is said that only a few runners like him have the ability to manage pressure, he doesn’t move and he doesn’t get angry easily. And sure enough, he showed them in the first timing of the 18.6-kilometer time trial that ended in Sanctuary of Monte Lussari (1,790 meters). Thomasas Almeida either roglic he changed his bike, perhaps more calmly than the others, but he also changed his helmet. He was the only one to do it and with this action he easily lost six seconds. The first time taken showed Roglic’s best time (1.39), two seconds faster than Thomas and four than Almeida; but the hardest part remained, the forest area, the impossible climb of 7.4 kilometers with an average slope of 11.8% and ramps of up to 22%.

With one look at Roglic and one at Thomas, the Giro is heating up. The Slovenian was seen to have a better pedaling cadence than the Welshman, more stuck. The sensations were better than Roglic, but on a small bump on the climb, patched, the chain jumped and he had to land. He is not the first runner to have a mishap of these characteristics at this point, but the importance is enormous, because with this maneuver he can easily lose ten seconds, in addition to all the speed he has.

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On the surface, Primoz was unfazed and went his own way, giving it his all, with the sole aim of reducing the 26-second deficit he had at the start in relation to Thomas. The second time taken at kilometer 14.3 indicated that Roglic had set 34.03 and Thomas 34.19, 16 seconds between the two and the Slovenian ten seconds from tying the deficit. The land was left for the leader of Jumbo-Visma stormed the lead. The sensations are wonderful. ‘Rogla’ he was flying and improved by 42 seconds the best time up to that moment, that of the Portuguese Almeida. Roglic stopped the clock in 44:23 at an average of 25.145 km/h. Behind, time and the meters play against Thomas, who controls the climbing effort worse than his great rival and finishes 40 seconds at the finish line compared to Cousin Roglic, with 14 seconds left to put on the pink jersey and become the virtual champion of the Giro d’Italia 2023.

From less to more, barring a big surprise this Sunday in Rome, being the gladiator that he is, Roglic will win his first Giro and his fourth great cycling tour at the age of 33, after three editions of La Vuelta What’s in your pocket? and in a certain way he compensates for the damages left by the test of time Tour of 2020when he lost the leader’s yellow jersey in the time trial of Planche des Belles Filles the phenomenon is new pogacar.