Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Luke Plapp has enjoyed – and, ultimately, endured – a dramatic day at the Giro d’Italia, the Australian champion eventually finishing third in a three-man sprint for glory after earlier finding himself the virtual leader of the race.
Team Jayco AlUla’s Plapp made several bold pushes for victory on Friday’s demanding 180km sixth stage between Viareggio and Rapolano Terme, spearheading a 95km seven-man breakaway that eventually came down to a trio gunning for the victory after a bruising four-hour slog.
But with the peloton bearing down behind them, it was Plapp’s two breakaway accomplices who shot past him in the finale, with former world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) grabbing the runner’s up spot while Spain’s Giro debutant Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar) raced to a brilliant victory.
It was a disappointment for 23-year-old Melburnian Plapp, also in his debut Giro, as a difficult undulating stage, featuring three dust-ridden gravel sections, ended up with him finally running out of steam as he finished a second behind the two leaders.
At points during the stage, with the breakaway even holding a three minute 15 seconds advantage, Plapp was actually the ‘virtual’ leader on the road and even with just over 20km remaining, he was on pole to wear the leader’s pink jersey in Friday’s time trial.
But the peloton soon made short work of that particular fantasy as they ate into the trio’s lead, with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) coming home safely among the bunch to protect his 46-second advantage over Geraint Thomas.
Wearing his national champion stripes, Plapp, who had started the day two minutes 33 seconds off the lead, looked like a man on a mission and even made a couple of bold bids to break for home twice within the last 11 kilometres. Each time, though, he was hauled back.
