Team Sky may have missed out on victory in the opening team time trial at the Giro del Trentino, but the British squad showed it is ready to control the race and ride to set up Richie Porte for overall victory by finishing just fractions of a second behind stage winners Bora Argon 18.
Local rider Cesare Benedetti of Bora Argon 18 claimed the fuchsia leader’s jersey but Porte is just 11 hundredths of a second behind, and eager to show himself as a real contender for the upcoming Giro d'Italia in this warm-up race.
"It was close… It didn’t actually feel that fast but to be so close to the win is a good. Most of this team will be doing the Giro d’Italia with me and so I think we’ve got some other strong guys to come in, so it’s a good sign," Porte said at the finish before riding back to his hotel at Riva del Garda.
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"It’s good to be back racing gain. It’s only three weeks out since Catalunya but after being stuck on a volcano for 12 days, you certainly felt that first kilometre. Coming down from altitude less than a week ago means I’m not sure where I’m at. I felt a little sluggish today but I’m looking forward to testing my legs tomorrow on the first hilly stage."
Stage two of the Giro del Trentino is the first of three mountain stages and includes the 12km Passo Santa Barbara before finishing on a five kilometre climb to Brentonico in the mountains overlooking the northern shores of Lake Garda. Porte will no longer be locked in a duel with fellow Giro d’Italia favourite Fabio Aru (Astana) but is looking forward to heading into the mountains.
"It’s a nice finish tomorrow (Wednesday). The penultimate climb is probably the hardest climb of the whole race, so it should be a good race," Porte said.
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