Zukowsky hits the breakaway and claims the Red Bull sprint
Nickolas Zukowsky of Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team was determined to make his mark on the longest stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia. 245 km from Formia to Blockhaus, finishing with a brutal climb.
Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek attacked early in the race, joined by three other riders, and Zukowsky soon set off in pursuit, quickly joining the breakaway.
"I was kind of hoping things would kick off again and that a bigger group would go. I thought that Bahrain might control passively and force the hand of Visma. It was a bit of a gamble to go - there were only five of us – but I was thinking maybe we could get a big gap because we weren’t a threat. It was a bit of a gamble, but sometimes you have to gamble."
Nick Zukowsky
As the final climb began, the gap between the breakaway and the peloton quickly shrank with Visma Lease a Bike pulling for Jonas Vingegaard for the stage win. Zukowsky, showing grit and determination, outlasted his breakaway companions and claimed the Red Bull sprint, dropping Van Der Lee of EF Education - EasyPost in the process.
"Van Der Lee attacked first but couldn’t get away and then I countered over the top and went for it. It was actually a really hard effort. It probably didn’t look like much on TV, but it was tough to stay away until the Red Bull sprint. It wasn’t ideal before a tough climb, but at that point, we knew we weren’t competing for the stage win, so it was kind of a consolation prize."
Nick Zukowsky
Despite a long and grueling day on the bike, Zukowsky crossed the finish line with a smile.
"I was happy the day was over. It almost felt like a Monument - six and a half hours on the bike! I was also happy with the team’s performance. We were represented at the front, put on a good show, and had our guys up there in the final."
Zukowsky states after the raceChris Harper and David De La Cruz were the first Pinarello Q36.5 riders to finish, crossing the line in 12th and 22nd place, respectively.
