UAE secure back-to-back wins at Giro d’Abruzzo

Following on from Alessandro Covi’s spectacular victory on stage 1, UAE Team Emirates-XRG made it two wins in two days at the Giro d’Abruzzo, with Ivo Oliveira coming up trumps with a sensational late attack in Penne. The Portuguese rider attacked 1.5km from the finish and held off the chasing pack on stage 2 to take his fourth career victory and the Emirati squad’s 29th win of the season.

Taken in such incredible fashion, the win was made all the more sweet for what it meant to the stage victor. So often proving an invaluable help to his teammates, Oliveira’s previous victories have come in the Portuguese national championships and a prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne, meaning that this was the 28-year-old’s first victory in a road race for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

The delight of Oliveira, his teammates and the UAE Team Emirates-XRG staff was clear to see beyond the line, in an emotional scene that was only fitting for such a tremendous start to the race by the Emirati squad.

Behind Oliveira on stage 2, Covi rode strongly in the leader’s jersey to finish fourth. He hands the race lead over to Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), who has finished second in both opening stages, but the Italian sits just two seconds off the jersey heading into stage 3.

Speaking to the media after the finish, Oliveira explained just how much it meant to win stage 2 and seize his own opportunity.

Oliveira: “I am still speechless. After a lot of setbacks and working for the team, I was really happy to take this victory and take the chance.

“It was supposed to be for Covi this stage. I spoke to him with 4km to go and said, ‘just stay on the wheel and I will try to anticipate, we have two cards to play.’ He was super good and he was super nice and he just said, ‘yeh go for it.’

“At 1.5km to go, I just did my last attack. It was a bit steeper than I thought, and I thought that in the last 100m, I was really short on my power - but it was enough and I cannot believe it. I am so emotional. I think, outside of prologues and nationals, I think this was my first victory for the team in a road race, so I am super proud. The team believed in me, my family, my girlfriend, and this is how I say thank you to them.

“This team is so strong and we work as a family, and we have so many options. I know I have a super good kick, it is like going for a 4km individual pursuit effort, and I really like this kind of finish. The pace was not so high, so I could keep control and I know that if I have a 100m gap, it is really hard to close on me. Fortunately, I was feeling good during the final.

“I am super proud, super happy, super emotional, I cannot believe I just did this.”

Earlier in the stage, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had marshalled the peloton on behalf of race leader, Covi. A two-man breakaway had been allowed up the road, but all in attendance recognised that the final 3km climb to the finish would prove decisive. As such, the gap to the breakaway gradually reduced and heading into the last 5km, the fight for the stage honours was to be contested amongst the peloton.