Marco Frigo put on an incredible performance on the hard, hot, and hilly stage 6 of the Vuelta a España, finishing in second place after a long day in the breakaway.
This is Frigo’s second podium finish in a Grand Tour stage but the best of his promising career to date; he previously finished third on stage 15 of last year’s Giro d’Italia in Bergamo.
“We raced full gas today. On the flat, it was fast, fast, fast, and then we hit the first climb,” Frigo explained.
“I stayed at the front as much as possible, but I missed the attack of Ben O’Connor [stage winner]. It’s a pity; otherwise, I think it could have been different. Anyway, it was a good day.”
In the final 30 km, Frigo went solo in a last attempt to catch the leading rider, O’Connor. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old Italian crashed on one of the descents. He managed to get back up quickly, but the stage win slipped away, and he had to settle for second place.
He added: “In the end, O’Connor won by four minutes—he was really strong, so chapeau to him. You never know if you don’t try. I’m happy with today!”
In the general classification, George Bennett is now the best IPT rider, finishing with the other GC favorites on the day – together with Michael Woods. Unfortunately, Matthew Riccitello suffered a crash. An update on the American will be given after further checkups.
On Friday, La Vuelta continues with a stage that looks to suit the fast and punchy riders.
