Latest news with #JaycoAlula
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Celebrate the good old Aussie way': Luke Plapp claims emotional Giro d'Italia stage win after epic solo escape
An emotional Luke Plapp celebrated 'the good old Aussie way' with a couple of glasses of vino after his heroic solo win on Stage 8 of the gruelling three-week Giro d'Italia. Plapp won his first Grand Tour stage in spectacular fashion, attacking his three breakaway companions 700m from the top of the Montelago climb, and a remarkable 45km from the finish of the hilly stage. The three-time Australian time trial champion finished 38 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman and Diego Ulissi, to become the second Aussie stage winner at this year's Giro after Kaden Groves' wild sprint win last week. The 24-year-old Jayco Alula rider put his hands on his helmet in disbelief as he crossed the line first in his third Grand Tour. The emotional Melburnian said he had been struggling since his sixth place finish in January's Tour Down Under in Adelaide, where he rode with a wrist injury. 'There's been a lot of lows,' he said after crossing the finish line. 'Whether it's at the Olympics, or at the Tour Down Under, and having surgery on my wrist. 'There's been a lot of lows, and not many highs in between. 'There's been no confidence. 'At the Tour Down Under I was feeling really amazing and was confident for that race, trying to win the overall. 'Since then there hasn't been much confidence at all. 'Even today, I was feeling good, but I was almost getting dropped at stages before the break went there. 'To come good and make it is so, so special.' Plapp dedicated the win to his mate, fellow Aussie cyclist Jai Hindley, who was concussed and suffered a fractured vertebrae in a horror crash on Stage 6. 'You see with Jai, who's a close friend, who's trained so much this year and spent so much time at altitude, just for it all to be taken away in the click of a finger,' he said. 'Cycling's such a crazy sport, you've gotta make the most of the highs when you can, because in a click of the fingers it can be taken away.' Plapp's attention now turns to protecting team leader Chris Harper, before a rest day and a 28.6km time trial to start week two. But first, a true Aussie celebration of his stage win. 'There's a big stage tomorrow to look after Harper but I know me and my roommate Michael Hepburn are going to have a few wines tonight,' he said, showing off the magnum bottle of sparkling he received on the podium. 'I'll take this bottle of vino back and we'll enjoy it the good old Aussie way.'
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Plapp rides solo to Giro d'Italia stage eight win as Ulissi takes overall lead
Australia's Luke Plapp has won stage eight of the Giro d'Italia with a formidable solo effort on the 197 kilometre ride from Giulianova to Castelraimondo. After nearly 20 riders formed a breakaway group with 100km to go, Jayco Alula's Plapp attacked the Montelago climb. He did not look back as he rode to victory by a handsome margin to claim his first Grand Tour stage win. Plapp was so far ahead that there was no chaser in sight. But the 24-year-old still looked cautiously over his shoulder on the final stretch to the finish, placing his hands on head in disbelief as he crossed the line. "It's pretty crazy, I still can't believe it, to be honest. I feel like it's been a long time coming," Plapp said. "Last year I got so close to the Giro so many times. And for today to happen is so, so special." Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike finished second, while XDS-Astana's Diego Ulissi came in third, with both riders finishing 38 seconds behind Plapp. Ulissi became the first Italian in four years to take the overall leader's pink jersey, ending an 86-stage drought. He replaced Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at the top of the general classification. Ulissi leads his teammate Lorenzo Fortunato by 12 seconds, while Roglič is 17 seconds behind. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro) is the best-placed Australian in the general classification, sitting 50 seconds behind Ulissi in eighth position. Earlier, Plapp had attacked with 45km to go in the stage, kicking into a high gear to leave the field behind and riding solo to the top on the Montelago climb. Plapp stayed in the lead after taking maximum points in the fight for the blue jersey and he had a minute's lead on the chasers while the peloton was more than six minutes behind with about 20km remaining. He showed no signs of slowing down as he also conquered the Gagliole climb and remained over five minutes ahead of the peloton on the descent. "I knew I couldn't beat any of them in a sprint, so I knew I had to go at some stage pretty early," Plapp said. "I think the way the racing's been going this year, the long moves have been really, really successful. "The first one to make a move, I think, always has an advantage. I just thought I'd give it a crack and to be honest, I just wanted a bit of a head start on the descent as well." Reuters
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Giro d'Italia: Luke Plapp powers to stage eight win while Diego Ulissi moves into pink
Luke Plapp of Jayco Alula won stage eight of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday with a formidable solo effort to clinch victory on the 197km ride from Giulianova to Castelraimondo. After nearly 20 riders formed a breakaway group with 100km to go, Plapp switched gears when he attacked the Montelago climb and the Australian did not look back as he rode to victory with no chaser in sight. Wilco Kelderman of Visma-Lease a Bike finished second while XDS-Astana's Diego Ulissi came in third, with both riders finishing 38 seconds behind Plapp. But Ulissi's effort was enough for him to take the overall leader's pink jersey from Juan Ayuso, with the Italian screaming in delight when he was told the maglia rosa was his. Full report to follow shortly
