A happy Philippe Gilbert scored his first win of the season during the Giro's stage 12.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) gets ready to start stage 12
Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) puts in a late-race attack for KOM points.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Silvan Dillier (BMC)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert on the stage 12 podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The rain came down again on the Giro d'Italia's stage 12, as Philippe Gilbert (BMC) put the disappointment of yesterday behind him to take the stage win. Gilbert made his move with less than 500 metres to go, catching and passing Tanel Kangert (Astana) on his run to the line.
Behind him, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) secured himself some bonus seconds by taking the runner’s up spot, while Fabio Aru (Astana) got distanced in the final climb and lost time.
Here is a selection of reactions from the peloton after stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia.
"It was a very hard stage, very fast at the beginning. Yesterday we worked hard together and in the end I didn’t make it. I wasn’t able to win because I was empty at the end so we decided to let them go. I was really disappointed and yesterday night I almost didn’t sleep because I was very disappointed with myself. I was worried that the team lost confidence in me so it was a hard moment yesterday night.
"Today we had a big meeting and the directeurs they gave us the moral back and the confidence back, so we said we would go for it today but we decided that we wouldn’t work at the beginning because we wanted to save ourselves for the final and I think that it was the right decision."
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"It was another very hard day. We rode the first two hours at about 50 kph, then the rain started. The peloton broke apart with the high speeds, but I had good legs. Philippe Gilbert was very strong on the final climb, but I was thinking of the General Classification and I’m very happy with the outcome today.
"We’re riding to try and avoid any risks or problems. We’re trying to use our intelligence in the race, looking at each situation. Astana are still very strong but I think that we are well organised and I think it was a really good day for us."
"Of course in that terrain earlier on the easier climbs he was always going to be the fastest because he’s faster than me on that terrain. Of course he was not about on the last, harder climbs. I went and made sure I got those points and it’s a good day"
"The final was perfect for Phil and we had the plan to give him a hand. We saw after the last climb how he did and then we tried to go full gas and tried to launch him onto the climb.
"The first few climbs were really hard and it was a little too difficult for us to control and then in the final. We tried it again today and it went perfect."
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