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Giro d'Italia: Jungels focused on white but Henao gains ground

By Cycling News

published 22 May 2016

Etixx-QuickStep rider pushes his limits in the mountains

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Bob Jungels lost pink but keeps white(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Bob Jungels (Etixx-QuickStep) desperately tries to catch back up to the next group on the climb(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Bob Jungels on the start line with Giro boss Mauro Vegni before stage 13(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Bob Jungels in the Luxembourg tricolour with compatriots Fränk and Andy Schleck, and Laurent Didier at the Trek team presentation in 2014(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Bob Jungels (Etixx-Quickstep) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Despite losing more time in the overall at the Giro d'Italia on stage 14, Bob Jungels kept his white jersey after a resolute display in the mountains.

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Jungels had lost the maglia rosa on stage 13 and proceeded to lose more time on the Passo Giau – the hardest ascent of Saturday's stage. He finished 21st on the stage, 6:21 down on winner Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge) and slipped from second to 12th overall, 6:10 down on new race leader, Steven Kruijswijk (Team LottoNl-Jumbo).

"I didn't feel too bad until they really went full gas on Giau, which was really hard. I remembered that climb since going over it in the U23 ranks and since then I noticed how harsh it is. I am content with giving it all today, on a day for the real climbers," Jungels said at the finish.

Jungels came into the Giro as an outside prospect for the top-ten but raced consistently in the opening ten days. He pulled on pink and even extended his advantage over several rivals with a daring attack on stage 11. However he came unstuck on stage 13 to Cividale del Friuli.

"I've never done more than 5000 altitude meters in a race, maybe in training, but that was all. At the end of the day, it was a good experience, which helped me find out how far I can push my body in a Grand Tour when things become really tough.

"I saw today that I can push it really far and I learned a lot about the way a race goes and how prepared you have to be from a mental point of view to take on such a stage. Now we'll just see how we will continue in the next days."