Sam Bennett (BORA – hansgrohe) delivered a second place behind Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) in Iseo on today’s seventeenth stage of the Giro d’Italia which marked his seventh podium finish at the race.
It was another frantic start to the stage as a big group of 14 riders built today’s breakaway with a small gap to the Maglia Rosa group. BORA – hansgrohe worked to reel in the break as the race neared the finished and the high pace resulted in the peloton splitting in two and a reduced bunch headed into the final circuit.
Quick-Step Floors and BORA – hansgrohe worked to nullify any attacks and with two kilometres remaining, the excepted bunch sprint was set up. As the fast men started their sprint, Bennett was further back and had to go for a long one. Under pouring rain, the BORA – hansgrohe sprinter finished in a strong second place behind Viviani with Niccolo Bonifazio (Bahrain Merida) in third.
The result meant that Viviani has strengthened his grip on the maglia ciclamino and now leads Bennett by 58 points.
“I want to say a big thanks to the whole team for the incredible work today and over the last weeks,” said Bennett after the stage. “They went so deep for me, working in the front of the race to close the gap to the breakaway and brought me in a good position for the finale. Unfortunately, it was not possible to finish the job off.”
