Just like on Tuesday on stage 16, David Gaudu and Lorenzo Germani entered together in the breakaway this Friday on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, which included nearly 5,000 metres of elevation gain. However, towards Champoluc, in the Aosta Valley, the two men didn’t have the legs to fight for victory. Two stages remained to be done: Sestriere tomorrow and Rome on Sunday.
It was finally time to tackle what, on paper, seemed to be the heaviest stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia. Despite “barely” 166 kilometres between Biella and Champoluc, stage 19 appeared to some as the “queen stage” of the Corsa Rosa, because of a staggering 4,950 metres of elevation gain. Five classified climbs, including three of first category, followed one another in this penultimate day of racing in Italy. The first one, located after four kilometres, didn’t prove enough to establish a breakaway, and the situation ultimately settled after one hour of intense battle. “The goal was to fight and try, even if the stage was obviously difficult on paper,” explained Stéphane Goubert. “We saw almost all the boys going for it at the start, then a large group broke away in two stages: the first move with Lorenzo, the second with David.” Three days after having taken the lead together towards Brentonico, the Italian and the Frenchman entered a breakaway of thirty-three riders who gained a three-minute gap on the peloton. On the day’s first 1st-category climb, the Col Tzecore (15.8 km at 7.7%), the leading group got reduced to some twenty men.
“The spirit was again the right one,” Stéphane Goubert
The Groupama-FDJ riders were still able to keep up the pace at that point, but when the attacks started on the Col Saint-Pantaléon (16.5 km at 7.2%), with seventy kilometres to go, David Gaudu had to let go, while Lorenzo Germani kept on fighting until halfway through the climb. “In the third week, the legs and the freshness make the decision,” Stéphane said. “We always want more, but we also have to be aware of our current strength and accept it. We’re where we belong today, even if the raw value of a guy like David is obviously much higher. In any case, the spirit and commitment were again the right ones.” Lorenzo Germani eventually reached the finish line in thirty-first place on Friday. “There are two stages left, because we don’t overlook Rome, to achieve something nice,” concluded Stéphane. “It was very hot again today and it obviously took its toll on the riders, but it’s the same for everyone. I hope the guys will recover enough to go for it again tomorrow on the last mountain stage of this Giro. We must continue to fight mentally, physically and collectively.” On Saturday, the peloton will head towards the iconic Colle delle Finestre, which will come after 160 way less challenging kilometres.
