Daniel Felipe Martínez (Bora Hansgrohe) is just hours away from finishing on the podium for the first time in one of the big three of cycling. The 28-year-old Soachuno rider defended himself this Friday in the penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia and He managed to secure second place in the general classification.
In a fraction of 157 kilometers, which the Italian cyclist Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R) ended up winning, Martínez managed to enter 23rd place, with the same time as the winner of the day and the two men with whom the Colombian hopes to share the celebration on Sunday in Rome: the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) and the British Geraint Thomas (Ineos), who today are first and third respectively.
In a new battle on the mountain, Martínez reaffirmed what he said in the press conference before this third week: ‘You have to run with a cool head.’ Intelligently, and in the midst of a natural wear of the peloton, Martínez did not make unnecessary efforts and remained in the group of race leaders.
(In detail: Giro d’Italia 2024 | Classifications after stage 19: this is how the Colombian cyclists are doing).
Martínez wins the praise in the Giro d’Italia
Daniel Felipe Martínez
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As seen in the broadcast of the race, the Briton was the victim of a ‘sharpener’ (collision of a front tire with the rear of another bicycle) and fell to the ground.
Then, he would have had problems with his chain but he finally recovered after attention that lasted several seconds.
In that period, in which some would have taken advantage to make differences, Daniel Felipe Martínez and Tadej Pogacar slowed down and waited for the Ineos man.
“A demonstration of fair play”, “It’s a great gesture” and “That’s sportsmanship”, are some of the comments that shine on social networks.
(You may be interested: They reveal a clue that would bury the illusion of Millonarios: Falcao closed a mega deal with Egan Bernal, in Bogotá).
A touch of wheels and GERAINT THOMAS IS DOWN 😲💥
Huge class from Tadej Pogacar and the GC contenders, who slow down and wait for Thomas to re-join the group 👏 pic.twitter.com/CXXFNyXV9l
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 24, 2024
‘It is not necessary to attack when an opponent falls’: Pogacar
Tadej Pogacar
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The UAE rider, who is more than seven minutes ahead of Daniel Felipe Martínez in the general classification, highlighted that it was demonstrated that “everyone respects everyone.”
“It is not necessary to attack when an opponent falls. Nobody wanted to overtake Thomas like that, so I hope he’s okay after the accident“, declared Pogacar.
“If I have an opportunity I will take advantage of it. Today we were very conservative with the team, no one spent too much energy and tomorrow is the last day of this Giro for us climbers,” said the race leader.
Martínez, for his part, will seek to maintain the 22-second difference he has over Thomas and reach the final stage in the Italian capital in second place.
In generalEiner Rubio (Movistar) He is eighth, 13 minutes and 33 seconds behind Pogacar. Nairo Quintanaalso from Movistar, is in 18th place, at 44 minutes and 52 seconds.
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