Astana Cycling Team (Italy) - Press Release: The 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia (Feltre – Croce D’Aune-Monte Avena, 194 km) from the one side became a successful day for Astana’s Pello Bilbao, who won his second stage in this race, but from the other side it was a day of a bad luck for Miguel Angel Lopez, who crashed down with 5 km to go because of a cycling fan.
Pello Bilbao became the winner of stage 20 with 5 categorized climbs, in a powerful uphill sprint from the pink jersey group outsprinting Mikel Landa. Together with Dario Cataldo, Pello Bilbao made part of the daily breakaway. Working hard in the leading group during the whole day, Bilbao was able to stay in front even in a moment, when the escapees have been caught by the pink jersey group on the final climb of the day Monte Avena. Despite a few attacks, everything ended with a sprint, where the Astana rider was the strongest.
- I am so happy with my second win! The first victory was a special moment for me, but now this is something huge! It’s incredible! We had a plan to go in a break to help Miguel Angel in case he attacks from the peloton. I was ready to support him. The whole day I was working hard in front, but when the GC riders caught us, I was a bit on the limit. Anyway I was ready to provide my help to Miguel Angel. When he crashed, my sports director told me he is ok and he is trying to come back, so he advised me to stay in the group and to try to fight for the stage. I knew I have to follow Mikel Landa in the sprint and to try to do my best inside the last 200 meters. Everything worked out perfectly and I won this stage! It was a tough Giro for me, something different from the last year, but, anyway, I am super happy with these two victories I was able to bring to the team and to our sponsors, to our main partner Samruk Kazyna, - said Pello Bilbao.
Photo credit: © Getty Images.
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