FANO, Italy (AP) — Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe won the hilly 12th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Thursday with a solo breakaway, while Tadej Pogacar finished safely in the main pack to retain the pink jersey.
It was Alaphilippe’s first victory in the Giro, to go with his six stage wins at the Tour de France and one at the Spanish Vuelta — plus his back-to-back world titles in 2020 and 2021.
“I hadn’t planned on a 125-kilometer breakaway,” Alaphilippe said. “It’s a splendid victory after a rough period.”
Alaphilippe clocked slight more than 4 hours over the 193-kilometer (120-mile) route from Martinsicuro to Fano, which started flat along the coast but then cut inland for four fourth-category climbs.
Jhonatan Narvaez edged Quinten Hermans in a two-man sprint for second, 31 seconds behind Alaphilippe.
Pogacar and the peloton finished more than 5 minutes back.
Two-time Tour de France champion Pogacar remained 2 minutes, 40 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez and 2:56 ahead of Geraint Thomas as he attempts to win both the Giro and the Tour this year.
“If there wasn’t the overall standings to worry about, I would have thought about trying to win this stage,” Pogacar said. “Alaphilippe showed that he’s back. Only champions are capable of actions like that.”
Sprinter Fabio Jakobsen abandoned the race before the stage started after crashing on Wednesday.
Stage 13 on Friday follows an entirely flat route from Riccione to Cento.
Then there’s an individual time trial on Saturday, followed by three consecutive mountain legs.
The Giro ends in Rome in 10 days.
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