As recently as Friday evening, the 2019 Giro d'Italia seemed as though it had come down to a two-way tussle between Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), with everyone else left in the Corsa Rosa just bit-players and B-listers as the two fought for victory.
On the snow-covered Colle del Nivolet, they appeared so sure of their pre-eminence, they stalled and marked each other, apparently unconcerned by the rider they were allowing to steal up the road. At the summit, Nibali issued a withering putdown of what he deemed to be Roglic's negative racing philosophy, without realising that he was implicating himself in the same crime.
"I said to him: 'If you also want to come and do a photo at my house, I'll show you my collection of trophies whenever you want...'" Nibali said sarcastically about the Slovenian following his every move, writing Saturday morning's headlines in the process.
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However the Giro d'Italia would subsequently unfold, Nibali and Roglic seemed convinced it was a battle between them alone. How wrong they were. The following day, the focus was squarely on the interaction, or lack thereof, between the two favourites at the start of stage 14. On the Colle San Carlo and again on the final haul to Courmayeur, they only had eyes for one another. Again, they seemed unconcerned by the rider they had permitted to slip off the leash, even when he had moved into the maglia rosa of race leader.
And now after the wild racing on the road to Como, where Roglic's comedy of errors cost him a further 40 seconds? The Giro d'Italia script has been ripped up again. As the Giro breaks for its second rest day in Bergamo on Monday, Richard Carapaz (Movistar) sits atop the overall standings, with Roglic and Nibali suddenly the cycling bridesmaids as Ecuador celebrates a historic first maglia rosa.
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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/carapaz-rips-up-the-roglic-and-nibali-giro-ditalia-script-analysis
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