LAST UPDATE | 27 May 2021
NICHOLAS ROCHE RETURNED an Irish rider to the Giro podium for the second-straight day, finishing third on today’s 18th stage, the longest of the race at 231 kilometres.
Following Dan Martin’s victory yesterday, Roche staved off competition to finish third behind stage winner Alberto Bettiol and second-placed Simone Consonni.
Bettiol hunted down Frenchman Remi Cavagna of Deceuninck who had escaped from a big breakaway group with 20 kilometres to go, and finished 18 seconds ahead of Roche.
The main peloton, including the overall leader, Colombian Egan Bernal of Ineos, finished 23 minutes and 30 seconds after Bettiol.
Dan Martin finished among the peloton, crossing in 78th place.
Martin is tenth in the overall classification, with Roche inside the top 50 at 46th.
The breakaway of 23 riders took shape in the first hour of the race on a large flat stage from Rovareta to Stradella which gave the main contenders a chance to recover before the Giro heads back into the mountains.
Cavagna, a time trial specialist, burst clear with 26 kilometres to go.
But Bettiol chased the Frenchman down through the vineyards of Oltrepo, and Cavagna cracked on final short climb.
Bettiol rode the last seven kilometres alone for the third victory of his career and his first in Italy. It was also his team’s first in this year’s Giro.
The Tuscan also gave the host nation its fifth victory since the start in Turin.
On Friday, the 166km 19th stage from Abbiategrasso finishes with a tough climb up Alpe Merra but has been rerouted to avoid the climb of the Mount Mottarone, out of respect for the victims of the cable car accident there last Sunday.
© – AFP, 2021, with reporting by Gavin Cooney
The Sport Ireland statement is a strange one “he bore no significant fault or negligence”- While I’d doubt he intentionally took the substance it was most definitely negligent not to check with the team nutritionist if the substance was legal or not
Brendan O Sullivan got off lightly. Would the sports council have been so lenient if he was an athlete or cyclist.
No one forced O Sullivan to take the illegal supplement. It was the height of stupidly not to check with the team doctor.
As for Marc O Se to say he was unaware of O Sullivan’s use of an illegal supplement. Did he never ask where’s Brendan?
@Diarmuid: the banned substance was not in a supplement but in a sports drink, similar to Lucozade sport. That’s why he got off so lightly
Kimmage will be all over this like a rash. “Now hang on Joe! This is important!”
@Marks Awarded: he was on the same time as O Se and you’re correct. That’s exactly how it went
OSullivan had no idea what he took, it was in a drink. I believe that.
What I dont believe is Marc O’Se saying he had no idea, thats bullsh!t.
But fair play to the Kerry boys for closing ranks and keeping this quite. Best of luck to anyone who can beat these, that sort of loyalty and respect is hard to beat!!
Imagine if this was Diarmuid Connolly or another Dublin player.. Ud have fools tarnishing they’re All Ireland wins .. If its Kerry its ok just a mistake
Kerry didn’t win an AIl Ireland last year.