Giacomo Nizzolo Secures Podium Finish in Giro Stage 5

IPT’s Italian sprinter, Giacomo Nizzolo, showcased his form in stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia with a third-place finish in Messina. Nizzolo’s near-perfect lead-out contributed to his successful sprint, boosting his confidence for future stages.

The intensity of the race was amplified when Alpecin Fenix injected pace on the Portella Mandrazzi climb, causing several sprinters to drop behind. However, Nizzolo and his team collaborated with others to maintain the gap and thin out the field for the final sprint in Sicily.

Reflecting on the challenging climb, Nizzolo commented, “I’m not surprised that some of the sprinters were dropped on the climb because we went really hard and it was really difficult to hang on. As a team, we cooperated to try and keep the gap along with the teams that had made the damage and from there, we kept it until the finish.”

Before the race, the IPT team emphasized the importance of patience in the complicated finale. Their strategic execution in the final kilometers paid off. Nizzolo explained, “The team followed the plan perfectly today and did exactly what I asked of them. We waited as long as possible and then with two kilometers to go, I got the information that there was a 15km/h headwind in the final stretch so I decided to drop back a few places after the last corner as I had the feeling that the best choice was to come from behind. When you drop, you don’t just drop three places and I probably dropped five to six places and had to find my way out in the last meters. I was coming with speed and I think it could have been a bit better. But if I didn’t feel like starting the sprint from the beginning, there was a reason.”

Moreover, Nizzolo’s third-place finish on stage 5 adds valuable points to his Maglia Ciclamino classification, further bolstering his performance in the competition. Looking ahead to tomorrow’s sprint opportunity, Nizzolo expressed optimism, stating, “We are on the good way, we just have to be patient and be confident, as we were today. Tomorrow is another good chance.“