Marco Frigo matches his Grand Tour best with second at La Vuelta
# Marco Frigo Secures Second Place at La Vuelta, Matching Best Grand Tour Result
Marco Frigo marked a significant achievement on Friday, finishing second at Cerler during stage 7 of La Vuelta a España, matching his best Grand Tour result. This time, he narrowly missed victory by just 1:15, trailing Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates across the finish line after a grueling stage involving over 4,200 meters of climbing at an average speed of 38.9km/h.
Ayuso initiated the breakaway on the day’s first climb, the category 1 Port del Cantó. Frigo capitalized on this move with the help of his teammate Jan Hirt, who assisted in bridging the gap to the leader.
Frigo shared his experience, stating, “In the end, it’s another second place in a Grand Tour stage. I think it was the hardest start of my career. But I got myself in the breakaway because of my legs. Once we were in the break, it was a really good group to be in; we worked really well.”
During the final stretch towards the summit, Frigo followed Ayuso during a pivotal attack on the 12.1-kilometer climb, though he ultimately lost contact with the Spaniard with 9.5 kilometers to go.
He reflected on the challenging climb, saying, “We knew this last climb was super hard – I tried not to overthink it. When Ayuso went, I had the legs to follow, and then it became too much for me. Ayuso was the strongest climber in the breakaway, we knew that.”
Frigo continued, emphasizing teamwork: “When Garcia came back, he helped me a lot. He did a good pace, I could rest a bit in the wheel and then I did the last 3km full. It’s already my third podium in a Grand Tour stage – but every time there was somebody stronger.”
Meanwhile, Frigo’s teammate, Matthew Riccitello, also demonstrated strong form, finishing 18th and maintaining his position as second overall in the youth classification, just 27 seconds behind leader Giulio Pellizzari.
As the competition continues, fans are eager to see how Frigo and the Israel Premier Tech team will perform in the upcoming stages of La Vuelta.
