Giro d’Italia: Davide Bais triumphs on Gran Sasso after ‘boring’ stalemate

The expected general classification scrap on the first summit finish of this year’s Giro d’Italia never came as the Italian rider Davide Bais took a surprise victory on stage seven from a breakaway.

More than three minutes after Bais (Eolo–Kometa) took his first professional win, the main contenders came to the top of the Gran Sasso d’Italia together, merely ensuring there were no time gaps between them. The world champion, Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick-Step, led the group home. It was a long way from the expected drama as the main contenders passed up an opportunity to race, an unexpected truce among rivals who remain bunched up in the standings behind the overall leader, DSM’s Andreas Leknessund.

A stage that finished above the snow line was one where the weather might have added to the drama, but instead Geraint Thomas of Team Ineos said the wind dissuaded any of the big names from making a move. “There was a super strong headwind,” the Welshman said. “Everyone was just waiting really, no one wanted to push the pace, in the wheels it was a lot easier. It was a bit of a stalemate. We kind of wanted to race a bit but it wasn’t the conditions to. I feel all right, I’m feeling better, we’ll be able to see once the race really kicks off in the last week.”

Leknessund, enjoying his third day in the maglia rosa, called the stage “a bit boring” after he prepared for attacks that never came. “We were quite lucky how the day unfolded,” the Norwegian said. “In the end it was only full gas in the last few kilometres, but we are grateful for that as we get more days in pink.”

Few gave a small breakaway much hope when they rolled off the front early on, but victory for the escapees reflected the cagey tactics of those with bigger