00:00After yesterday's stage, a sprint finish in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples,
00:05once again marked by an unfortunate crash in the final metres.
00:14Won by Ballerini ahead of Stuyven e Magni, today there's no room for the sprinters.
00:20At stage 7 comes the first real test for the riders of the Giro d'Italia.
00:25The Formilla blockhouse stage at 244 kilometres is the longest of the entire race
00:31and finishes with a summit finish set to shake up the general classification,
00:36currently led by Afonso Lallio.
00:38We will do our best like a team, like me in the final, we will see what I can do.
00:44The 1,665 metres of the Mayela summit will host the first true showdown among the climbers
00:49and provide a reliable measure of the contenders' form for the overall victory.
00:53All eyes are on Vingegaard and his team, likely to come under pressure,
00:57and on Perizzari, currently his declared rival.
00:59Yeah, yeah, today's definitely a long day and a hard day.
01:02Ma, credo che si arrivati tutti i Vingegaard, credo sia il favorito oggi
01:05e speriamo di tenerli a ruota e provare a fare qualcosa.
01:09Lazio, Campania, Molise e Abruzzo.
01:11The race crosses four regions before finishing on one of the Giro's sacred climbs.
01:15A brutal finale with average gradients above 8% and ramps reaching 14%,
01:21which has hosted the finish nine times.
01:24Impossible to forget Eddie Merck's first Giro stage win right there on the blockhouse on May 31st, 1967.
01:31The cannibal dropped all the greatest climbers of the era, revealing his immense talent.
01:36And speaking of history repeating itself, Jay Hindley will also be at the start.
01:41He won a stage on May 15th, 2022, the same year he went on to win the Giro.
01:55A long and demanding stage awaits over six hours in the saddle,
02:00made even more selective by the final 13 kilometers on a narrow road, steep and packed with switchbacks.
02:07For the main contenders, it's time to show their true colors.
02:16The stage begins with a weather question mark.
02:19Conditions are good in Formia, but up on the blockhouse it's cold and very windy.
02:24Over 20 kilometers per hour with gusts reaching 40.
02:28The Rocca Morice side, where the riders will climb, is the most exposed.
02:32Weather will be one of the key factors of today's stage.
02:40Meanwhile, a group of five riders breaks away at the start.
02:46The peloton lets them go.
02:49In the heart of the bunch rides the pink jersey, Alfonso Eulalia, who leads the general classification by 2 minutes
02:55and 51 seconds over Arrieta,
02:57and 3 minutes and 34 minutes over Scaroni.
03:00For now, he can also take in the beauty of the landscape along the road from Sperlonga to Gaeta.
03:06The breakaway's advantage, which had grown to over 6 minutes, begins to shrink with just under 200 kilometers to go.
03:13Newo aggiornamento chronomentrico.
03:16The return of the group is in 4 minutes and 37 seconds.
03:21Along the roads, the enthusiasm of the fans accompanies the race,
03:24which continues with eyes on the scenery and ears tuned to weather updates at the finish, where the wind is
03:30still strong.
03:32Pre-race favorite Jonas Vingegaard keeps things under control and, together with a teammate, helps Bahrain Victorious set the pace
03:40at the front of the peloton.
03:41The gap to the breakaway starts to grow slightly again with around 50 kilometers to go before the intermediate sprint
03:47in Benafro.
03:54Which he's going to do, Diego Sevilla, good ride for him, but he's going to pick up eight points for
03:59second place.
04:00Jonathan Milan takes the victory very comfortably.
04:05Milan crosses the line first, ahead of Sevilla, Naberman, Zukowski and van der Lee,
04:10and with the 12 points gained, he strengthens his hold on second place in the Cicloman jersey standings, behind Marnier
04:16and head of Ballerini.
04:18The beautiful medieval village of Enafro tells us the race has now entered Molise.
04:23The first drops of rain are falling on the riders, while good news comes from Blockhouse, where the wind is
04:28expected to ease by the time of the finish.
04:43At the start of the climb to Rocca Raso, now in Abruzzo, the four escapees have more than a five
04:49-minute advantage over the peloton.
04:51On a road averaging 6.5% with ramps up to 12%, it's Diego Pablo Sevilla setting the pace.
04:57Wearing the blue jersey since day one, he is the clear favorite to take the king of the mountain's points.
05:05The other breakaway riders can't match Sevilla, who takes the 18 points at the Rocca Raso Summit and extends his
05:11lead in the climber's classification.
05:20And they all let him go, Diego Sevilla, the king of the mountains, picks up another 18 points.
05:26Starts of the day on 42, he's going to end the day, unless he gets any points at Blockhouse, on
05:3060 points.
05:49The weather conditions worsen, rain starts falling and the temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius.
05:55The riders put on their rain gear, but the breakaway doesn't give up.
06:15From this moment on, the peloton increases the pace, and the gap to the breakaway begins to shrink progressively.
06:22A clear sign that the GC contenders are also aiming for the stage win and want to reel them back
06:27in.
06:31After cresting the Paso di San Leonardo, a long descent begins towards Rocca Morice, where the final 13-kilometer climb
06:38will start.
06:39Fortunately, the rain has stopped and the roads are dry.
06:42At the start of the decisive climb, Nikolaas Zhukovsky attacks, goes clear solo, and passes first under the Red Bull
06:49KM banner, ahead of Christian van der Lee and Sevilla.
06:52With 10 kilometers to go, just as the steeper section begins, the breakaway's advantage drops below two minutes.
06:58But the Canadian gets there first.
07:04Team Visma-Lise Bike moves to the front of the peloton with Vingegaard, Pinganzoli and Kus.
07:10They set a fierce pace, catch the breakaway and thin out the group.
07:17Only Giulio Bellizzari manages to hold on.
07:20The effort from the two is impressive.
07:27The Italian tries to stay focused, but the favorite for the overall victory attacks twice.
07:32And the second move is decisive.
07:34Vingegaard continues his move.
07:37While Bellizzari begins to fade under the effort and is caught and passed by Felix Gall.
07:42With three kilometers to go, Vingegaard leads by 19 seconds over Gall.
07:47Bellizzari is about 35 seconds back.
07:50Bellizzari sees a gap open up for the first time.
07:53He looks round to see who's behind him.
07:55And that leaves Jonas Vingegaard all alone on the mountain and riding his own pace.
08:00A little further behind, the duo of Hindley and O'Connor, followed by a small group with
08:05Chicone, Ironsman, Stora and Rondel.
08:07Gall is climbing superbly, keeping Vingegaard in his sights.
08:11But the Dane is never caught.
08:13Felix Gall reduces the gap to just 13 seconds behind Vingegaard.
08:21Glocka belongs to Denmark on this occasion.
08:25Vingegaard looks round, checks for the final time that he has held.
08:28Felix Gall at bay and he can coast home because he has won at the Giro d'Italia.
08:35On debut, on stage 7.
08:38The first victory he will be hoping of many as Gall comes into the picture.
08:42His margin of victory won't be big, but Vingegaard takes victory at the Giro.
08:47Kisses the handlebars, punches the air.
08:53Just as expected, Jonas Vingegaard sends his first real statement at the Giro.
08:58With Belizzari only partially able to respond.
09:02Excellent defence of the Maglia Rosa by Portugal's Eulaglio, who finishes 2 minutes and 54 seconds
09:08behind the stage winner and retains the overall lead.
09:113.17 over Vingegaard, 3.34 over Gall, 4.25 over Hindley and 4.28 over Belizzari.
09:20In the end, it was a nice day today to take the stage win.
09:23Now, I've won a stage in all three grand tours, that's something special.
09:28After today's effort, more climbing awaits in tomorrow's stage 8.
09:32156 kilometers from Chieti to Fermo.
09:35Not a long stage, but a very demanding one.
09:38The first part runs along wide, flat roads by the Adriatic coast.
09:42The second moves inland towards Fermo, featuring constant ups and downs and several steep walls.
09:48It's a route reminiscent of the Ardennes classics,
09:51with gradients in the final section reaching up to 22%.
09:55Perfect terrain for a breakaway attempt.
09:57Local rider Giulio Belizzari will surely try something on the roads he knows by heart.
10:03.
10:03.
10:04.
10:04.
10:04.
10:04Grazie a tutti.
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