ProTeam After the Blockhaus, the first mountain stage of this Giro, Lennert Van Eetvelt: “First real test, but I didn’t have my best legs.”

“Enjoy the Blockhaus,” sports director Maxime Bouet told the riders before the start during the tactical meeting. With 13.6 kilometers at an average gradient of 8.4%- and after a total of 244 kilometers in this seventh stage- it was anything but straightforward. Add the icy wind near the summit, and it was clear one of the toughest stages of this Giro was on the menu.

Today, Van Eetvelt was able to measure himself against the favorites for the first time. That had still been somewhat of a question mark for him, as he had rarely tackled a climb like the Blockhaus before. In the end, Van Eetvelt had to let the group go in the first section of the ascent.

“On the penultimate ramp, I already felt it wasn’t going to be one of my best days,” Van Eetvelt said. “I rode all day in long tights, and that probably wasn’t my smartest idea. I’m afraid I got a bit dehydrated.”

Van Eetvelt is targeting a stage win in this Giro rather than a general classification result. “We’ll see what the rest of this Tour of Italy brings. There may now be more opportunities for breakaway riders, but it’s always hard to predict whether they’ll let you go or not. Sometimes you can be in the break with the best legs and still get caught.”

Tomorrow, the peloton travels from Chieti to Fermo for a hilly 156-kilometer stage.

Picture: PhotoNews