A great performance by VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè in the fifteenth stage of the Giro d’Italia, the 157 km Voghera–Milan stage. Martin Marcellusi claimed an impressive third place after spending the day in a breakaway formed in the opening kilometres of the race, remaining among the protagonists all the way to the finish line in the heart of Milan.

The Roman rider animated the stage together with Fredrik Dversnes, Mattia Bais and Mirco Maestri. The four escapees immediately found the right cooperation and managed to hold off the peloton throughout the stage despite the work of the sprinters’ teams behind them.

In the finale, on the Milan city circuit, the peloton attempted to close the gap, led mainly by Lidl-Trek and Soudal Quick-Step, but the breakaway riders held on until the final metres and contested the victory in a sprint finish. Fredrik Dversnes took the win ahead of Mirco Maestri and Martin Marcellusi, who delivered a ride full of consistency and character.

Martin Marcellusi commented after the stage:“It was truly a great day. The disappointment only goes so far because I knew the others were probably a bit faster than me in the finale, and in the last metres I could see they also had a better kick. But we did something special: we started at full gas from the very first kilometres, and honestly I didn’t think we would be able to keep that pace all the way to the finish. Instead, we managed it. This third place gives us confidence and confirms that we are working well. Today proves that you always have to believe, even when a breakaway seemingly makes no sense.”

STAGE RESULTS:

1. Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) 3h03’18”

2. Mirco Maestri (Team Polti-VisitMalta) s.t.

3. Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) s.t.

4. Mattia Bais (Team Polti-VisitMalta) a 5″

5. Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) a 7″

6. Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) s.t.

7. Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) s.t.

8. Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) s.t.

9. Paul Penhoet (Groupama-FDJ) s.t.

10. Luca Mozzato (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) s.t.