“If I can keep the shirt tomorrow night [mardi], it would be great. So spoke Bruno Armirail, surprise pink jersey of the Tour of Italy, Monday during the rest day, two days after taking power. But the wish of the first French leader of the Giro since Laurent Jalabert in 1999 has not been realized.
Thibaut Pinot’s teammate at Groupama-FDJ let go 10 kilometers from the finish of the 16th stage between Sabbio Chiese – Monte Bondone. If the Portuguese Joao Almeidao won ahead of Geraint Thomas, it was the Welshman who recovered the precious overcoat, at the end of the solid aperitif of a particularly invigorating last week of competition for the surviving competitors of a marked event. by bad weather and the Covid.
The leader of Ineos, who will turn 37 on Thursday, can hope to win a second Grand Tour, five years after the Tour de France. Yet favorite since the abandonment of Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) could not follow him to the end.
Pinot drops too
Five passes and 5,000 meters of elevation, with a terrible final climb, it was too much for Armirail, however, more of a roller than a climber despite his Pyrenean origins. The 2022 French time trial champion will not make it a disease, he who also declared on Monday: “My role is to keep this jersey as long as possible, and once I lose it, it will be everything for Thibaut. »
Pinot, so unhappy last Friday in Crans-Montana after a bitter second place, should have a free hand by the time they arrive in Rome on Sunday. The Jurassien lost all his chances of getting a nice place on Tuesday, cracking 9 km from Monte Bondone.