2021 Giro d’Italia stage 12: Andrea Vendrame wins from the front of a two-up sprint

Andrea Vendrame (AG2R-Citröen) won a two-up sprint ahead of Chris Hamilton (Team DSM) in the finale of a lumpy stage 12 of the 2021 Giro d’Italia.

Riding from a break that started as 15 strong, the two distanced themselves from George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) and Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo) in the final kilometers.

Vendrame has wins at the Circuit de la Sarthe and the Tro Bro Léo, but this is his most significant professional victory.

Brambilla bettered Bennett for the final podium position. But following the stage, race officials determined that Brambilla had deviated from his line, and handed the Trek-Segafredo rider a one-place relegation, promoting Bennett into third on the stage.

There were no changes to the top 10 of the general classification after one of the longest stages in this edition of the Giro.

In the final 8km, Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), a previous winner of the Giro overall, attacked the maglia rosa of Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) with teammate Giulio Ciccone. The younger Trek-Segafredo rider could not match the pace of the “Shark of Messina” and dropped back to the pink jersey group.

Bernal’s teammate Gianni Moscon gave chase after Nibali and took a tumble with 5km to go. The Italian quickly remounted his bike and was able to get back into the main bunch.

How it happened

One of four 200+ kilometer days was a chance for a break to stick.

George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma), Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo), Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), Geoffrey Bouchard and Andrea Vendrame (AG2R-Citroën), Simone Ravanelli and Natnael Tesfazion (Androni-Giocattoli-Sidermec), Chris Hamilton (Team DSM), Mikkel Honoré (Deceuninck-Quick-Step), Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Guy Niv (Israel Start-Up Nation), Victor Campenaerts (Qhubeka-Assos), Dries De Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix), and Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) had gained more than eight minutes on the maglia rosa group by the halfway mark.

This gap was at nearly 10 minutes with 75km to go when the sunny skies gave way to deluge. The weather wreaked havoc with the bunch on the front, and by the time the escapees were again under sunny skies, there were just six at the front of the race.

Behind the sextet, De Bondt and Campenaerts chased to try to reconnect with the front of the race while in the main bunch, Larry Naesen (AG2R-Citroën) was having a hard time with his rain jacket and took a tumble, only to quickly get back on his bike having shed his rain cape.

Again riding on drying roads, the group at the front swelled to 13. With such great numbers to their advantage, the break looked sure to succeed.

Brambilla was the first to try to split the group, with Vendrame the only one to initially go with him. Bennett soon followed, and then Hamilton.

Bennett’s chase group tried to bring back Vendrame before the summit, with a lot of the work done by Brambilla.

Hamilton used this move as a launchpad to bridge up to Vandrame.

The four were on the front with 12.5km to go and 3km remaining on the climb.

Giulio Ciccone and Vincenzo Nibali attacked the Ineos GC group some 13 minutes back, trying to disrupt the pace set for race-leader Bernal.

Over the final climb and onto the descent and run-in to the finish, Hamilton launched at 3km to go, with only Vendrame stocking with him. Bennett and Brambilla were caught off guard and were quickly distanced.

Vendrame lead Hamilton into the final 2,000m with Hamilton momentarily several bike lengths back before he got Vendrame’s wheel, having to expend a bit of effort to make up the distance.

Once he reconnected, Hamilton forced Vendrame to lead out final 500m, but the Italian was able to hold on for the stage win.

Behind them, Gianni Moscon (Ineos Grenadiers) took a tumble chasing Nibali. He was quickly back on his bike.

The move Nibali had launched netted him just seven seconds, and he was still four minutes back of Bernal at the finish.

What’s to come

Friday’s flat stage from Ravenna to Verona is another one for the sprinters, before Saturday’s ascent of Monte Zoncolan.