Morgado and Gualdi on today’s podium. It was an exciting stage that has made some important gaps

(Foto: Roberto Fruzzetti / Ciclismoblog)

La Spezia, 1 September 2022 – Michal Zelazowski brings Poland back to the top step of the Giro della Lunigiana podium 15 years after Michal Kwiatkowski’s win in Sarzana in 2007.

The Polish rider, who races in Italy for the Energy Team, was part of a bunch of 27 men who attacked on the first ramps of the Passo del Bracco. Under the high pace of the French national team, present with 5 units, the breakaway took a gap reaching the foot of the final climb of Biassa with a 2 ‘advantage over the main group.

On the climb Antonio Morgado (Portugal), Tomas Sivok (Slovakia), Simone Gualdi (Lombardy) and Paul Magnier (France) have launched an attack, but they were joined in the descent by Michal Zelazowski who proved to be the fastest in a sprint conditioned by the fall of Magnier.

The Mayor of La Spezia Pierluigi Peracchini awarded Zelazowski with the first Maglia Verde of the Giro della Lunigiana.

STAGE RESULTS

1 Michal Zelazowski (Poland) 91.2 km in 2h18’02”
2 Antonio Morgado (Portugal) st
3 Simone Gualdi (Lombardia) st

CLASSIFICA GENERALE

1 Michal Zelazowski (Poland) 91.2 km in 2h18’02”
2 Antonio Morgado (Portugal) st
3 Simone Gualdi (Lombardia) st

FULL RESULTS

DECLARATIONS

Stage winner and first Maglia Verde Michal Zelazowski said: “I saw that France had manand I immediately thought that the action would be the good one. It is nice to bring Poland back, our movement has gone through some difficult years but we are confident that the future can be good.”

The Maglia Bianca Simone Gualdi said: “When the group broke up on the first climb I stayed in front, I was the only Lombard rider and so I tried to be as passive as possible. Tomorrow I will try to save myself in the morning because the stage in the afternoon it suits climbers like me.”