After the rest day, Mathieu van der Poel will defend the pink leader’s jersey of the Giro d’Italia for the third time today. After three stages on Hungarian soil, the race now continues in Italy with the very tough climb of Etna.
“Normally I would have lost the uniform,” predicted Van der Poel on Sunday after the final stage in Hungary. “Or they have to drive very quietly, but I don’t expect that.”
The fourth stage goes through the Sicilian island of Avola, 172 kilometers from Mount Etna. The last 23 kilometers are uphill with an average gradient of 6%.
Four Dutchmen in the top eight
The Dutch have been doing very well in the Giro so far, with four drivers in the top eight. Van der Poel is followed by Tom Dumoulin (third), Wilco Kelderman (fifth) and Bauke Mollema (eighth). But in the tough first phase ahead, rates are expected to be different going forward.
While Van der Poel expects one of the drivers to rise in the standings, his role is certainly not over. “I want to win a few more stages. There are still a lot of goals.”
Van der Poel won the first stage on Friday and is 11 seconds ahead of Simon Yates after three stages.
Source: NOS
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