Giro d'Italia (st. 1)
Marvellous TT from Costa Rican brings Movistar Team allrounder 3rd in Apeldoorn, only behind Dumoulin (TGA) and Roglic (TLJ); Alejandro concedes 24" to day's winner and remains ahead of all favourites -except for Nibali (-5")- in beginning of Maglia Rosa quest
The fourth-place finisher in the 2015 Giro d'Italia has started the 2016 edition with a bang. Despite Andrey Amador being focused -as for the whole Movistar Team- on helping out Alejandro Valverde in this 'Corsa Rosa', the man from Costa Rica didn't stop looking for glory into a discipline, time trials, which already took him into a provisional podium in Italy twelve months ago. Only the day's winner Tom Dumoulin (TGA) and Slovenia's Primoz Roglic (TGA) bested Amador -by six seconds- over the 9.8km course in Apeldoorn, the latter part ruining the chances of most specialists in a pan-flat course in Gelderland, but not avoiding Andrey notching up the first good result for the telephone squad in a Grand Tour this year.
In turn, Valverde made a notable time trial in his Giro debut. The Spanish road race champion finished 24" behind Dumoulin to keep hold of GC contenders Chaves (+6"), Zakarin (+8"), Urán (+9"), Majka (+14") or Landa (+16"). Only Vincenzo Nibali (AST), five seconds faster than the Spaniard, and Steven Kruijswijk (TLJ, 2" ahead) could improve his result. It's thus all good feelings for the Jaimerena-Chente group ahead of a duo of fast, tricky stages in Gelderland, prelude to the first big transfer of this Giro to the south of Italy on Monday.
REACTION:
Andrey Amador (video): "I'm really happy with what I did today. It's hopefully a good start to a great Giro, both for us team and for Alejandro, who clocked a great time today. The squad is feeling stronger after this race… and we're only getting started. I felt really well on the course – knowing that the work done at home makes you confident, and I think my legs will improve over the three weeks. I hope not to disappoint, be there at the front and hopefully, give the team a good race at the end of this Giro."