LIFE is at the cutting edge of the liveable city revolution. In the Lombardy region in northern Italy, for example, the recently completed LIFE in the city project brought students conservationists and citizen scientists together to protect threatened urban biodiversity in three cities - Milan The project set out to design and test an ‘innovative collaborative and participatory model of green urban regeneration for biodiversity conservation’ In just two years it delivered free online training courses on biodiversity and urban greening for teachers Residents and students created urban gardens and public green spaces planting local shrubs and varieties of native flowers that encourage pollinating insects.  Along with Bologna and Madrid, Milan was also involved in VEG-GAP to evaluate the impact of planting urban vegetation on air temperature humidity and pollution levels.   Based on the results, VEG-GAP built a collaborative online platform for city authorities to plan their own urban vegetation programmes ‘Urban green spaces have cooling effects on cities’ says the project manager for the Metropolitan City of Bologna Valeria Stacchini ‘Urban green represents a great opportunity to improve the quality of life in the city.’  Meanwhile, in Alentejo, Portugal, LIFE AGUA DE PRATA aims to bring ancient natural underground water sources back to life to irrigate urban green spaces in the regional capital Évora The recently completed project also encouraged ‘urban farmers’ who grow their own produce to promote climate-friendly water-efficient irrigation on their plots.  is the restoration of the world-famous 16th-century aqueduct to transport 120,000 cubic meters of water every year from natural springs outside the city.   With 338 million EU citizens now living in urban areas - more than three-quarters of the total population - the pressure is on to create liveable cities which also help ease the climate and biodiversity crisis Sign up for our LIFE Programme newsletters triumphing once again from the breakaway on stage 14 to Cassano Magnano The German, who was triumphant in Rivoli on stage 12, almost celebrated too soon at the end of the 194km stage, but just held on to beat out Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) for the victory Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) rounded out the podium after leading out the sprint after the lead two break groups came together inside the final kilometre and Bettiol were all part of the chase group behind a lead group of three heading into the dying kilometres of the stage Toms Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) and Davide Ballerini (Soudal-QuickStep) all out front having attacked at around 50km to go it had looked like they would contest the victory but things came back together inside the last kilometre of the race and Gee immediately came over the top around the final bend with the German punching past on the final rise to the line who has been among the revelations of the race finished fast but fell just half a wheel short and would be forced to settle for a third second place at his debut Giro d’Italia “I felt super good today and I got from the beginning the opportunity to go for the break which I used again,” Denz said after the stage I thought we lost it because it seemed that they couldn’t close it." “But then the attacks went on the hills in the final we almost closed it but when we stopped pushing I didn’t want fourth because I already won so I closed it and then Bettiol launched I jumped on his wheel and went full to the line and – again 53 seconds after the battle for the win, Groupama-FDJ man Bruno Armirail rolled across the line in 15th place Taken in isolation it wasn’t a standout result but with the Ineos Grenadier-led peloton riding a go-slow for much of the stage the Frenchman would be elevated into the maglia rosa The peloton eventually crossed the line at just over 21 minutes down giving the 2023 Giro d’Italia its fourth leader and the first French leader of the race since Laurent Jalabert in 1999 Stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia would take the remaining riders back across the Swiss border and back into Italy with a 193km stage from Sierra to Cassano Magnago in Lombardia the sole difficulty along the way would nevertheless be a major one though the peak came some 140km from the finish line one that would go on for 30km at the start of the stage before a large group of riders established themselves off the front 19 men got off the front after a lot of back and forth and plenty of attacks through the opening kilometres Maglia azzurra contender Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) was in there along with Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and sprinters Davide Ballerini (Soudal-QuickStep) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) A group of seven came across partway up the Simplonpass with Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic) and Israel-Premier Tech trio Simon Clarke Eolo-Kometa pair Mattia Bais and Mirco Maestri got across having only attacked after the peloton slowed down to let the break go The rain once again began to fall on the riders as they headed uphill the peloton six minutes down on the break as they raced to the 2,004-metre summit Bruno Armirail tried to fend off Davide Bais on behalf of his Groupama-FDJ teammate mountain classification leader Thibaut Pinot who spent six days in blue between Pinot’s spells in the classification lead coming from behind in the final metres to grab 40 points and retake the jersey The gap back to the peloton only grew more and more as the riders flew down the wide As the riders crossed the border it was past nine minutes and by the time Marius Mayrhofer (Team DSM) beat Toms Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) and Gee at the intermediate sprint The situation would remain the same for some time on the flat roads south towards Lake Maggiore at least until Bettiol ventured off the front at 62km to go the Italian set off a chain reaction of moves behind as the battle for the stage win got underway Stage 12 winner Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) came across first before the remainder of the group eventually joined in Laurens Rex (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and a bridging Ballerini were the next to go stealing a march on the rest into the final 50km More attacks flew behind on the counter but the four out front built their lead to over 30 seconds before Movistar and Bahrain Victorious set their handful of men to work on behalf of sprinters Gaviria and Andrea Pasqualon That advantage grew out to 50 seconds as the riders raced towards the final 20km while the slow-moving peloton at 17 minutes behind the chase threatened to gift the maglia rosa to Armirail A small rise at 17km to go provoked attacks from the chase with Gee and Bettiol leading the offensive The upping of the pace brought the leaders’ advantage down to 30 seconds as the riders hit the final 13km while Gaviria was among the riders dropped from the move Skujins used a rise in the road to push on and drop Rex from the move while back in the chase Mayrhofer and Denz joined Gee and Bettiol on the attack Rex was caught by that group soon after at just under 20 seconds down on the leaders and Oldani worked together well into the final 5km holding an ever-decreasing gap as the metres raced by That gap edged down towards the 10-second mark heading into the final kilometre before Oldani made his move at the front with a final push from Denz brought the chasers across 500 metres from the finish Bettiol led the chasers immediately past the trio they had just caught with Denz once again proving the strongest man from a small breakaway group to shoot to another Giro stage victory Results powered by FirstCycling Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia Bora-Hansgrohe’s Denz launched his sprint with Derek Gee and Alberto Bettiol in hot pursuit and narrowly claimed his second stage victory after winning stage 12 his third runners-up finish in this year’s Giro “I felt super good today and so I managed to get again into the breakaway,” said Denz “I felt very good and when Bettiol launched his sprint I followed him and then I went full gas until the line It was a very tough day but it ended well for me.” Oldani, Laurenz Rex and Davide Ballerini attacked with just over 50km left and were quickly joined by Toms Skujins. The quartet worked together excellently to pull away from their pursuers, but ran out of steam in the final stages and were swallowed up with the finish line in sight. Groupama-FDJ’s Armirail crossed the line 53 seconds behind Denz to become the Giro’s first French leader since 1999, with Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) a minute and 41 seconds behind to be second overall. The race favourite, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), is third. Sunday’s stage 15 is a challenging 195km ride from Seregno to Bergamo featuring a number of steep climbs. This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media. says Ineos DSIneos Grenadiers directeur sportif Matteo Tosatto insists the decision for Geraint Thomas to relinquish the maglia rosa was one borne out of control not weakness.Geraint Thomas (C) of Ineos Grenadiers in action during Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia Source: Getty Denz at the double in Cassano Magnano as Armirail into pink Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.Watch on SBS SportSport News Sign In Subscribe Now Try searching for your content, or return to the homepage Breakaway prevails on road to Cassano Magnago - Giro d'Italia: Denz triumphs from break on stage 14 as Armirail takes race lead - Giro d'Italia abandons: The full list of riders who have left the race - How to watch the 2023 Giro d'Italia – live streaming - Giro d'Italia race home Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia Today should see a chance for the breakaway or the sprinters with a largely flat stage aside from the first-category climb early on EF Education-EasyPost rider Stefan De Bod is out with an infected wound Stefan de Bod will not start stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia due to an infected wound sustained from a crash at the Giro. He will continue to be monitored and will return home to recover before he resumes racing.May 20, 2023 Astana Qazaqstan lose their first rider of the Giro as Samuele Battistella goes home with a fever and gastrointestinal problems 🇮🇹 MEDICAL UPDATE: @giroditalia Unfortunately, @samu_batti won’t take start today due to gastrointestinal problems with fever. He is negative for COVID-19. We wish a very speed recovery to Samuele! #Giro #GirodItalia #AstanaQazaqstanTeam 📷 @SprintCycling pic.twitter.com/s9f55msPo2May 20, 2023 Only Jumbo-Visma and Bahrain Victorious remain with full squads now Giro d'Italia abandons: The full list of riders who have left the race The Simplonpass will likely see the sprinters drop from the peloton They'll have 140km to get back on and chase down the breakaway And today's route map as the race heads from Switzerland across the border into Lombardia Around 20 minutes until the riders head out to start the stage and the neutral zone A look at the stage 13 results and GC standings heading into today's stage Yesterday's stage saw a triumph for the breakaway as Einer Rubio beat Thibaut Pinot and Alexander Cepeda on the abbreviated mountain stage to Crans-Montana Back in the peloton there was a GC stalemate as a headwind prevented any major attacks on the summit finish 'It didn't really kick off' – Stalemate for Thomas and Roglic at Giro d'Italia Five minutes until the riders roll out to start the action Just under 10 minutes until the real racing begins How to watch the 2023 Giro d'Italia – live streaming Watch stage 14 live on a variety of streaming platforms Thibaut Pinot has the red dossard as most combative rider yesterday He's also back in the blue jersey after picking up a 64 KOM points on the stage Thibaut Pinot portera le dossard rouge du plus combatif sur la 14e étape de ce Giro ! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/Igq2D46dhrMay 20, 2023 Pascal Ackermann says he'll take a rest today so he and his UAE Team Emirates team won't be working for a sprint here The stage 11 winner said it'll be a day for the breakaway Trek-Segafredo don't have Mads Pedersen anymore so they won't be working for a sprint either Alpecin-Deceuninck are missing Kaden Groves while Soudal-QuickStep only have two riders left to work for Davide Ballerini and Movistar would be the main squads interested in a sprint with Michael Matthews It's a sunny start in Sierra but there's more rain expected later on today The flag drops and racing is underway on stage 14 Laurens Rex on the move for Intermarché He has a gap of around 10 seconds on the peloton Nobody else with the Belgian at the moment More riders jumping from the peloton behind Rex Michael Matthews and Mark Cavendish among the riders in this large group It's quite a large group of riders out here We don't have the names of all those involved yet Another group at the front as Gibbons is caught Rex back out front in a small group.  Some riders tried to push the pace and attack in the peloton but now there's a slowing of the pace Maglia rosa Geraint Thomas goes to the front of the peloton Corratec-Selle Italia missed the break and send a rider on the attack Alexander Konyshev is the Corratec man attacking on this short unclassified climb Now Stephen Williams and Carlos Verona attack from the peloton Williams and Verona are ahead of Konyshev and closing in on the break Luis León Sánchez (Astana Qazaqstan) Henok Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) And now Toms Skujins leads another attack from the peloton Sprinters Ballerini and Gaviria among the key riders out front Derek Gee along with Williams in the chase Both he and Arensman are within three minutes of the race lead Jumbo-Visma are trying to close it down for obvious reasons so they're both closing in on the leading group.. Maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan among those going Arensman and Kämna drop from the chase and wait for the peloton Now 30 seconds between the break and the chasers Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier is off the back of the race alone after getting caught in a crash with Ryan Gibbons earlier on Gibbons is back at the front of the peloton Now things are slowing down in the peloton They have slowed way down and the gap is up to two minutes already Now Eolo-Kometa are riding off the front of the peloton with two riders.. The peloton just letting them go – they don't want another big battle here They have almost three minutes to make up.. The riders are not far off the bottom of the Simplonpass now And a look at the breakaway on the road to the climb Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier is back in the peloton now after a long chase back The Eolo-Kometa duo are 2:40 down on the break.  Ineos Grenadiers control the peloton 6:40 down on the break Seven minutes now as the rain begins to fall Misty rain at the top of the climb and a headwind He'll be a favourite for victory if the other men in the break can't drop him before the finish this climb is a great place to get rid of him but the top is some 140km from the finish line.. Mattia Bais has joined his brother Davide in the break Heavy rain as the riders continue up the climb Puccio continues to lead the peloton as Verona leads the break Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-Samsic) has abandoned the race Ineos Grenadiers continue to lead the peloton Davide Bais and Bruno Armirail are battling for the points at the top of the climb Armirail is looking to defend his Groupama-FDJ teammate Thibaut Pinot's blue jersey here Armirail on the front with 500 metres to go 40 and 18 points up for grabs for the first two riders The Italian speeds past and takes 40 points.  He moves up to 144 points to Pinot's 114 and he'll be back in blue Giro d'Italia classifications, jerseys and rules explained All you need to know – from the maglia rosa to the Cima Coppi Eolo-Kometa lead the break down the start of the descent It's not overly technical but it's very wet Revised time gap from break to peloton – eight minutes Several riders in the break with flapping rain jackets after missing their chance to zip them up before the descent Across the border and the Giro d'Italia passes back into Italy Down to the bottom of the descent and the gap to the peloton is only going up 10 minutes now as the riders approach the midway point of the stage Not much going on as the riders hit the flat road at bottom of the descent We'll more or less be waiting for the attacks from the break The break is coming up to the first of the day's two intermediate sprints at Villadossola Hard to see exactly who contested the sprint Everyone is in black rain jackets and it's still pouring A nice shot of the peloton rounding a corner on the descent earlier on No moves in the break as the lead extends over 12 minutes The situation remains the same as the riders race through the pouring rain Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas has just finished. Check out the results here. The horrible weather isn't letting up at all The break still all together at the moment on these flat roads No immediate response from the break but now Nico Denz is going More attacks flow behind with Laurens Rex leading the way All back together now as the group comes back across Now it's Rex and Oldani off the front across the day's second intermediate sprint Now Ballerini has bridged across to Rex and Oldani Toms Skujins is trying to get across to the trio The gap to the rest of the break is around 15 seconds More attacks from behind now as Williams makes a move Williams can't make it and he's back in the chase It's still raining hard here as the riders race alongside Lake Maggiore Sütterlin and Barta working on the front in the chase on behalf of Pasqualon and Gaviria The Movistar and Bahrain domestiques are working hard here.  The best-placed GC man in the breakaway is Armirail at 18:37 down on Thomas. He's currently racing into the virtual top 15 overall Now Williams is on the front of the chase along with the Movistar men Skujins has a couple of podiums so far in this Giro 'I've actually got to win one' – Skujins again close from Giro d'Italia breakaway Eolo-Kometa are also working in the chase now The four leaders still 50 seconds up the road The lead quartet are still working well together as they head over a small rise in the road TV graphics show it going down to 20 seconds More attacks from behind now as the riders tackle more rises in the road Gaviria is dropped from the break on those hills and the rest of the Movistar riders are also out the back A reduced group chasing the four leaders now You'd imagine Skujins would hope to drop both Oldani and Ballerini here Not long now until the riders can finish off the stage and go and get a well-deserved shower.. Mayrhofer are together off the front of the chase Oldani looking to add to his stage win in Genoa last year Ballerini looking to add to his big win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad two years ago Skujins also searching for his first Grand Tour stage win after several podium spots The trio still pushing on with a small gap Further back we'll also see if Armirail can take pink We haven't had a time check to the peloton in a while 19:20 from the peloton to the front of the race Armirail is in the third group at 37 seconds down It looks like the leading trio might be holding on to contest the win here The leaders are hanging on to their advantage here Will Jumbo-Visma work on the front to keep Thomas in pink tonight It would mean another round of lengthy podium appearances and press conferences for the Welshman No sign of any cat-and-mouse games at the front The chasers can see them on this straight road The gap can't be more than 10 seconds or so Oldani on the front with a move but the chasers are across Denz is celebrating after the line but that was a mad finish It looks like Denz has taken another stage win at the Giro d'Italia Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) has won stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia: Denz triumphs from the breakaway on stage 14 Here's what Denz had to say after his win.. "I felt super good today and I got from the beginning the opportunity to go for the break I thought we lost it because it seemed that they couldn't close it "But then the attacks went on the hills in the final I didn't want fourth because I already won so I closed it and then Bettiol launched Sportsmanship between Denz and Bettiol after the line 18 minutes later and the peloton are still racing to the line The peloton crosses the line just over 21 minutes down Armirail was 18:37 down and finished 53 seconds behind Denz Here's what runner-up Derek Gee said after the stage.. "Just this much [signalling how close he was to the win] "Simon [Clarke] knows these roads really well To have three in the group and be able to get that work out of Stevie was unbelievable I’m sorry I couldn’t finish it off." Bruno Armirail is the first French Giro leader since Laurent Jalabert in 1999 Here's what Armirail had to say after the finish.. I didn't really imagine that I was going to take the maglia rosa tonight I tried on stage 4 and was disappointed not to take the win home "The moment it became a reality for me was there at the end For the team it's fantastic after Thibaut's second place yesterday Armirail is in pink by 1:41 from Thomas now Nico Denz celebrates his stage victory on the podium And here's Bruno Armirail in the maglia rosa Davide Bais back in the blue of the mountain classification leader tonight Giro d'Italia stage 14 GC standings: Thomas cedes race lead to Armirail Frenchman leaps into maglia rosa with 20-minute time gain from breakaway Jonathan Milan (Bahrain Victorious) remains in the maglia ciclamino as leader of the points classification We'll have plenty of news and reaction coming in through the evening from Israel-Premier Tech plus a preview of Sunday's stage 15 and more That's all for our live coverage of stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia begins in the Valais just below Friday’s mountaintop finish and travels across 70km of Swiss roads before crossing the border back to Italy It only takes 35.7km from the start in Sierre for the peloton to encounter the only climb of the day a challenging 20.2km ascent of Passo del Sempione The first-category climb begins in Brig and averages 6.5% with a stiff stretch at 14% after the first 3km.  It is on the technical descent among a series of tunnels that the corsa rosa returns to Italian soil the steep banks providing a launchpad for the final 124km in Italy and all of it downhill The route passes Lake Maggiore on the approach to Cassano Magnago where the sprinters who survived the early climb could seek glory they will have to survive two small uncategorised climbs with 16 kilometres remaining to reach the final flat finish a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) Bruno Armirail alongside Groupama-FDJ leader Thibaut Pinot at the Giro d'Italia team presentation in Pescara 'I'm not used to opening bottles of champagne On the eve of his Tour de France debut in 2021, Bruno Armirail was under no illusions about the place he occupied in the cosmos of a sport where lightyears have traditionally divided the stars from the water carriers "A cycling team is a bit like a factory: there's a hierarchy and if someone isn't made to be a boss it's best that he never becomes one," Armirail told L'Équipe back then he confessed to unfamiliarity with the entire protocol of race leader from the ceremony itself to the media obligations that followed "I didn't really feel at ease on the podium because I've never been on the podium apart from the French time trial championships last year," Armirail said almost apologetically "I'm not really used to opening bottles of champagne This is something exceptional for a domestique." Armirail's primary task on this Giro has been to take care of Thibaut Pinot but he was given a rare leave of absence from those duties on Saturday to chase stage victory from the large early break that went clear ahead of the Simplonpass.  "You had to be alert and lucky to get in the break today because it went on the flat," he said but I was on the limit at the end because I'd gotten very cold on the descent." The dream died as the move broke up in the finale. So it goes, it was always a long shot. After reaching the finish in 15th place, 53 seconds down on winner Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) Armirail was already rolling anonymously back to his bus ready to return to the rhythms and routines of the domestique who began the day in 23rd overall at 18:37 As he watched the finale unfold on television so I didn't see this jersey coming," Armirail said "The key to today was that Ineos left the jersey to me Ineos were kind enough to let the jersey go Armirail puffed his cheeks in disbelief when he was informed that he had become the first Frenchman to wear the maglia rosa in the 21st century The last man to achieve the feat was Laurent Jalabert in 1999 but Armirail admitted that he had not grown up with 'Jaja' – or indeed other compatriot – as an idol I wasn't very interested in cycling and I didn't really have idols," he said A native of Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the heart of the Pyrenees he left the south-west for the first time in his life to join the Armée de Terre Continental squad in Paris I'd never even been on a plane or a train," he told L'Équipe in that 2021 interview was halted by a serious training crash in January 2015 that left him with a triple fracture of the kneecap he was dropped by the Armée de Terre at the end of 2016 but perhaps it was stepping back to amateur level that ultimately helped him make the leap to the WorldTour at the start of 2018 At Groupama-FDJ Armirail quickly settled into his role as a domestique he was pencilled in to ride the Tour de France only to be dropped at the last minute in favour of Antoine Duchesne His response was to claim the first and only win of his pro career in the French time trial championships "The disappointment will be there for a while..." Any lingering dissatisfaction has surely dissipated with this surprising stint in the pink jersey and he will now hope to defend the garment on the rugged stage 15 to Bergamo before conceding it in the high mountains but the main objective for the team for the rest of the Giro is to win a mountain stage with Thibaut Pinot," said Armirail his day out in the break here means that he will enjoy a day out of his regular life when he dons the pink jersey on Sunday that his rank would remain unchanged despite the honour "It's going to make me a bit more confident but I'll always be an équipier," he said "This doesn't make me think I'll be a leader someday." Canadian completes a hat-trick of second places on stage 14 Derek Gee keeps getting closer, and that only makes it harder to take. The Canadian has done more than anyone to enliven the Giro d'Italia over the past week he continues to be rewarded with near misses and plaudits rather than stage victory and bouquets By now, it feels almost inevitable that "numero 135, Derek Gee" will feature in the roll call whenever race radio crackles into life to announce a breakaway, and that was the case once again on the road to Cassano Magnago on stage 14 At the finish, however, the Israel-Premier Tech rider again had to settle for a maddening second place – his third of the Giro – after he was pipped to the line by Nico Denz (Bora-Hansgrohe) When Gee won the sprint for second behind Ben Healy in Fossombrone a week ago it felt almost like a victory for the Grand Tour debutant while a narrower second place behind Magnus Cort in Viareggio three days was a confirmation rather than a missed opportunity made this latest runner's-up spot a little harder to process "It's a mix of emotions for sure," Gee told Cyclingnews "If you told me going in that I'd be in this position with these legs "I mean… Nico really deserved that stage Gianni Savio's Androni team used to be the perennial aggressors of the Giro proudly racking up kilometre after kilometre in the early break Israel-Premier Tech have taken up that mantle though the team – and Gee in particular – have made a habit of driving those breaks deep into the race was only caught in the finishing straight in Naples while Sebastian Berwick took third in Rivoli the team had three men in the sizeable break that formed ahead of the Simplonpass with Gee and Clarke joined by Stevie Williams When that unwieldy move broke up in the final hour of racing, it was Williams and Clarke who worked to bring Gee back into contention, and he would make it across to the front group in the final kilometre in the company of Denz and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-First) Gee came close to overhauling Denz in the sprint but the finish line arrived just a beat too soon "We thought the race was over when they had almost a minute but Stevie rode amazingly with Movistar to bring it back and give me an opportunity to jump across," Gee said It's just disappointing not to finish it off." The 25-year-old is in his first full season at this level having concentrated on his track career ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, and he is part of a youthful but seemingly fearless Israel-Premier Tech line-up at this Giro. The team's management here also includes a debutant in Sam Bewley in his first Grand Tour as a directeur sportif "I'm loving it in my first Grand Tour as a director but I feel a little bit sick that we were so close again," Bewley told Cyclingnews "It seems to be the story of the Giro for us Gee was on the offensive on Friday's abridged stage to Crans Montana joining the break that forged clear after a breathless opening on the Croix de Coeur Although he couldn't quite live with Einer Rubio he still had the strength to take fourth on the category 1 haul to the stage His range extends far beyond his obvious gifts as a rouleur "I think he is the revelation of this Giro," Bewley said including on a really hard stage last weekend Then he was in the break on a mountain stage yesterday and he was fourth He's the revelation of this Giro – we're just lucky we have him wrapped up in a long-term contract." there are still seven stages of this Giro left Once Saturday's disappointment is digested 'It was a sign of us controlling our own race not a weakness' says Ineos Grenadiers DS Tosatto Cyclingnews witnessed Thomas arrive at the Ineos Grenadiers team bus in a rain-soaked pink jersey didn't speak but did not seem concerned either He could only put the maglia rosa away as a career souvenir and hope it is not his last of this year's Corsa Rosa Thomas will start Sunday's stage to Bergamo 1:41 down on Armirail but still in control of his overall hopes, with his rivals still breathing down his neck. Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) is third overall at 1:43 and Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) at 2:03 both very much in the game for overall victory "The boys controlled the break at the start It was a big break and we were happy for it to go then see how it turns out because 9 times out of 10 a big break like that doesn't ride well together on the flat," Thomas said after the stage noting that he wore three rain jackets on the freezing cold Simplonpass descent "We were half expecting them to attack each other on the climb already But then it turned out that they rode really well together The speed in front was fast and we didn't want to overcook our boys to try and defend the jersey they still rode a decent tempo and ended up giving the jersey away But I think it was a good decision because there's no point in two guys trying to hold 20-odd guys rotating at full gas "Happy to get that one ticked off because it was another long day which seems to be the majority at this race." Armirail's lead could ensure he retains the maglia rosa during Sunday's 195km stage in the Lombardy hills and so into Monday's rest day and then the final week in the high mountains Thomas can now rest up and save every drop of energy for the final showdown in the second half of the week Team directeur sportif Matteo Tosatto insisted to Cyclingnews that the decision to let the maglia go was a sign of Ineos Grenadiers' confidence and control "I looked at the names of the riders in the break and immediately decided to let the maglia rosa go It was a sign of us controlling our own race not a weakness," Tosatto told Cyclingnews and Slovenian radio after checking in with Thomas and the other Ineos Grenadiers "The break was perfect for us with Bruno Armirail at 18:37 and no other second-tier GC riders in the move We respect the importance of the maglia rosa but I had to think of the guys and think of the bigger picture and the fight for overall victory especially because we're down to six riders "We could have closed a two or three-minute gap easily with the guys in the finale but I didn't want to take any risks Chapeau to Groupama-FDJ and Bruno Armirail because it's not easy to go in the break like that." Thomas has lost the pink jersey and Tosatto will not follow his riders from the lead of the team car convoy during Sunday's 195km stage from Seregno to Bergamo.  "We're still in a good place. I'm focused on our guys recovering for Sunday's Il Lombardia 'Classic' stage and then the final week," Tosatto said "We race day by day but our plan is ready for tomorrow It's an important stage for the GC but I think a breakaway could also go clear and fight for the victory We'll perhaps see something happen but I think everything will happen in the final week That's when we hope to get the maglia rosa back." SWITZERLAND - MAY 19: Einer Augusto Rubio of Colombia and Movistar Team celebrates at finish line as stage winner competes during the 106th Giro d'Italia 2023 Stage 13 a 75km stage from Le Chable to Crans-Montana - Valais 1456m - Stage shortened due to the adverse weather conditions / #UCIWT / on May 19 (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images,) Source: Getty / Stuart Franklin/Getty Images “The time to start again is when you need to make sacrifices It’s a time when I think it’s intelligent to look in two directions: to the more elderly who’ve had difficult experiences in the past certainly resonate; the 42-year-old champion from Cassano Magnago who won the Giro d’Italia on two occasions with the responsibility of a sports manager Basso has worked with Alberto Contador (and his brother the Spanish team that has already launched a number of young athletes on great cycling careers This prominent position has enabled him to gain solid management experience in addition to his huge sporting experience And it is on these two levels that Ivan is looking at starting again we’ve seen you working on bicycle trainers in these times of “confinement” in the home “The indoor activity has helped in my training but also to raise my spirits; cycling produces wellbeing it improves self-esteem and your mental and physical balance I don’t want to appear disrespectful of the moment; I know very well that a lot of people have suffered and worked hard this instrument has been discovered by a larger number of sportsmen and women Many young people have started using the trainer and even people who are more advanced in years have been able to choose this option the best thing was the charity aspect; I offered all of my pink jerseys as prizes and a lot of people have used this channel to do good and the world of cycling is also being called upon to plan for the future At what point were you when everything stopped the conditions were right for an excellent 2020 and also for an energetic start to next year The team’s idea was (and is) to grow; after three seasons in which we were one of the best Continental Teams in the world in terms of results and of launching athletes into the higher categories we were preparing to become a Professional Team one that can receive invitations to the great races and the major classics and there’d been some interesting overtures from a number of new sponsors and we’re going to; I’ve got a good feeling because the whole system wants to start again But the teams need to have a plan that covers both the sports and the managerial aspects I think the solution is to have the right mix between the qualities of a business and those of a sports team a single plan that goes from August 2020 to December 2021 do you think the link between sport and economy is increasingly important passion; the economy is the ability to balance accounts and organise every undertaking in the most prudent way need to have a managerial approach and to share the choices with those who invest money in them; at the same time the companies can benefit from the spirit that there is within a team of athletes working towards their goal.” that generally brings fans together instead of creating divisions and it’s a huge driving force for promotion it’s essential that the Giro d’Italia takes places in 2020; the whole country can benefit from the race Italy has three colours: the light blue of the national teams this stage race can reinforce our image throughout the world.” what do you think about combining the Tre Valli Bernocchi and Agostini into a single race for 2020 it’s important for everyone to work together: it’s a time to unite to reach out and help also those in difficulty so that we can return to a normal calendar in the following seasons I think creating a “Great Lombard Trio” is an intelligent thing to do and is useful for the individual organisations and for the whole movement.” you’ve discovered a new passion: for running./strong> “Running is a sport that I was never able to practise in the past and I enjoy it; it’s an activity that reminds me of the time trials there are nuances that remind me of cycling.” Accedi o registrati per commentare questo articolo L'email è richiesta ma non verrà mostrata ai visitatori Il contenuto di questo commento esprime il pensiero dell'autore e non rappresenta la linea editoriale di VareseNews.it I messaggi inclusi nei commenti non sono testi giornalistici ma post inviati dai singoli lettori che possono essere automaticamente pubblicati senza filtro preventivo I commenti che includano uno o più link a siti esterni verranno rimossi in automatico dal sistema Non sei registrato? Clicca qui Hai dimenticato la password? Clicca qui " + _localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + _localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Johann Bruyneel confirmed the signing of Italian Ivan Basso to his.. The winner of the 2006 Giro d'Italia signed a contact for two years to ride with Discovery Channel the same team that took American Lance Armstrong to seven Tour de France victories After closing out nearly three years with Danish Team CSC Ivan Basso will aim for grand tour glory under the guidance of Bruyneel I am happy," said Basso late last night to La Gazzetta dello Sport from his home in Cassano Magnago "It not an exaggeration for me to say that this is the start of a new life Ivan Basso, 28 years-old, confirmed earlier speculation as to whether or not he would be going for wins in the two major tours "The group [at Discovery] is ready to give total support to the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double," reassured Basso "It is a project that gives me lots of enthusiasm According Bruyneel's announcement yesterday Ivan Basso will be heading to Lance Armstrong's home town "Now I am taking a week's vacation at the beach and [will be going] where it is warm Then I will think of 2007," the Italian concluded But what about the International Association of Professional Cycling teams (AIGCP) pact made on 25 October in Paris The members of the AIGCP claimed that they would not sign riders implicated in doping investigations and request riders authorize the UCI to collect their DNA samples before the end of 2007 was left confused with his fellow ProTour team but I also risked my team disappearing," said the Dane to La Gazzetta dello Sport Wednesday afternoon the ProTour teams had expressed their intentions to no longer engage the riders entangled with Operación Puerto in addition to requiring a DNA test the interests of individuals prevail while the initiatives go disregarded." were relatively tight-lipped in light of Discovery Channel's signing of Ivan Basso "[Team manager Hans-Michael Holczer] will not comment on this event for the time being," Gerolsteiner spokesman Mathias Wieland told Cyclingnews that "We have our clear line and there is a commitment among all ProTour teams." T-Mobile Sports Director Rolf Aldag explained to www.express.de "I find it inconceivable that Basso will sign with Discovery Channel," and added only then will they be interesting again." Cyclingnews' recent coverage of 'Operación Puerto' Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Operación Puerto ready to fight and had a Swiss shield on their uniforms: it was 18-19 October when the Swiss territory (between Valle Onsernone and Val Vigezzo) was in danger of suffering its first invasion after five hundred years The episode occurred towards the end of the “forty days of freedom” of the Ossola Republic the area that the partisan formations had freed from Nazi-Fascist occupation the Nazi and Fascist counterattack began; the battle lasted about ten days the partisans of the independent “Piave” division retreated from Val Cannobina who were afraid of possible Fascist retaliation and “Perotti” partisans climbed to Bagni di Craveggia The Swiss army was already lined up in the area to defend the border; the two officials in command Captain Tullio Bernasconi and Lieutenant-Engineer Augusto Rima were closely watching the positions of the authorities the Swiss Frontier Command authorised civilians and wounded and sick partisans to cross the border (Rima gave a detailed account in “The Verbano area during the Second World War Memories and thoughts of a Swiss army official” in the magazine Verbanus) “The orders of the Brigade were what they were it’s not possible for someone who can think for himself not to react in some way to the idea of having to witness a massacre without being able to do anything about it.” That is why Rima decided to enter Italy and suggest a formation and strategy to enable the partisans subsequently to retreat across the border the battle between the remaining (poorly armed) partisans and Nazi-Fascist units particularly from the Folgore and X Mas brigades The Swiss soldiers lined up right along the border Despite the warnings of the Swiss soldiers who were already in Switzerland: those hit beyond the border included the young Lieutenant Federico Marescotti together with the twenty-year-old Renzo Coen he had returned a few days before from Switzerland and the two Swiss captains decided to ask the brigade headquarters in Bellinzona for backup because the Fascist commander Paolo Violante was threatening to enter Swiss territory in order to capture and execute all of the refugees and it was anything but symbolic; there were two platoons of soldiers armed with light and heavy automatic weapons and an entire company of grenadiers (the photo above shows the formation drawn by Captain Bernasconi) It was only at this point that the fascists decided to withdraw and avoid encroachment and conflict the funeral of Lieutenant Marescotti was held in the nearby village of Spruga in Valle Orsenone; the Swiss officers deployed their men as a guard of honour Despite the rigid instructions given by the government in Bern the events at the border increased the Swiss soldiers’ sympathy for the anti-Fascists On hearing the choruses of the Black Shirts and seeing the brutal violence against two partisans they had captured Captain Bernasconi called the Italian fascists “reckless brutal and lacking in any civic education whatsoever.”  Renzo Coen who had been injured and assisted by the Swiss soldiers were regarded as legitimate soldiers of the Italian government and were imprisoned in Swiss internment camps (several managed to escape and subsequently went back to fight in Italy) The episode in Bagni di Craveggia was the closest to armed conflict on the ground with Swiss troops during the Second World War It is no coincidence that this episode has an entry dedicated to it on the German Wikipedia website when a German column threatened to use their weapons to cross the Swiss border and avoid being captured by the Allies and Partisans The most significant military event in Switzerland was the bombing of the town of Schaffhausen: the bombs released by mistake by the US planes caused forty deaths almost half as many as those caused by the Allies in Switzerland the incident in Schaffhausen is almost ignored by the peaceful federation which survived the violent Twentieth Century almost unscathed The border incident in Bagni di Craveggia (today surrounded by woods) is remembered with a plaque which was laid in 2018 by the Association of Partisans and the Municipalities of Craveggia and Orsenone there had only been the bullet marks on Ada Tarabori’s old house and two vases made by the shell casings of the Fascist artillery who shot across the border on that 18 October in 1944