• Amazing performance by the pink jersey; Ulissi is 2nd in the Tour of Hongrie​

The pink jersey of Tadej Pogačar is shining even brighter after the individual time trial of 40,6 km from Foligno to Perugia.

The Slovenian rider won the stage thanks to an amazing performance on the final hill of the course (6,6 km at 4,1%) which allowed him to close the time split of 47” from Filippo Ganna at the second timepoint at -7 km to the arrival.

After having managed his effort on the flat part, an impressive climb by Pogačar gave him the victory number 72 in his career with the time of 51’44” (Ganna +17”) and made even more solid his leadership in the GC: Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) had a gap of 2’ in the ITT and he’s now 3rd in the GC (+2’46”), while in second place there’s now Daniel Martinez (+2’36”).

Pogačar clocked a blistering average speed on the 40,6 km course of 47,088 km/h.

Pogačar: “After the time trial at the World Championships of the past year I worked a lot in order to be as efficient as possible on my TT bike: today I was 100% comfortable and efficient on it and so I’m very happy about the victory.

There will be another time trial in this Giro d’Italia, I will look forward to it because I feel I could still improve.

For what concerns the competition for the pink jersey, during the stage I received the info I was faster than Thomas at the first timepoint, this gave me even more morale to push harder, then I gave my all on the final climb and so the day became beautiful for me”.

Stage 8 will start from Spoleto and will finish with a summit arrival at Prati di Tivo.

Giro d’Italia – stage 7 results

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 51’44”

2. Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) +17”

3. Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-grenadiers) +49”

Giro d’Italia – general classification after stage 7

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 24h12’36”

2. Daniel Martinez (Bora-hasngrohe) +2’36”

3. Geraint Thomas (Ineos-grenadiers) +2’46”

Diego Ulissi was close to his second success of the year in stage 3 of the Tour de Hongrie (Kazincbarcika to Gyöngyös-Kékestető, 182,7 km with summit arrival at the end of a 12,1 km climb at 5,6 %), having being preceded only by Belgian Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek).

The peloton approached the final climb with a high pace, with the teams of the top riders pushing the peloton and selecting it in view of the last steep sector.

Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) opened a small gap at 1,3 km to go and he resisted as solo leader until the final 100 meters, when Nys, followed by Diego Ulissi, overtook him: the UAE Team Emirates’ rider went in chase of Nys with a final effort, but the Belgian had no problem in crossing first over the finish line.

Ulissi was 2nd, preceding Buchmann in a top 10 that also includes Marc Hirschi in 9th place.

Nys is the new leader of the general classification with 4” on Ulissi (2nd).

Ulissi: “The climb was long, but it was not so steep, except for the final 2 km. My teammates Alessandro Covi and Filippo Baroncini set a perfect pace and they helped Marc Hirschi and me to approach properly the demanding part of the climb.

My legs were good, but unfortunately in the last kilometre there still was Thibau Nys in the front: he’s very fast and his sprint was more effective than mine.

I’m happy for the performance, we’ll try to give the best in the next two stages in order to be in the top positions of the general classification”.

Stage 4 will start from Budapest and the peloton will reach Etyek after 165,5 km of flat course.

Tour of Hongrie – stage 3 results

1. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) 4h31’52”

2. Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.

3. Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) s.t.

Tour of Hongrie – general classification after stage 3

1. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) 12h09’41”

2. Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) +4”

3. Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) +6”