Stage 7 of Giro d’Italia 2023 marked the arrival of the first serious mountain challenges of this year’s Giro. Friday’s Giro 218-kilometer route from Capua to Gran Sasso d’Italia (Campo Imperatore) featured two Category 2 climbs and concluded with a Category 1 mountain battle, where temperatures down to 2 degrees Celsius were anticipated in the snowy conditions that would remind the cyclists of the fact they are competing in God’s own uncontrollable nature.

While breakaway hopefuls were expected to launch their usual attacks, all eyes were on the general classification favorites - such as Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers), and UAE Team Emirates’ Joao Almeida - and their intensions of using today’s stage optimally to their own advantage.

Four riders launched an attack six kilometers after the stage start in Capua. Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Henok Mulubrhan (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane), Simone Petilli (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty), and Karel Vacek (Team Corratec-Selle Italia), were each hoping to secure a prominent stage victory in a Grand Tour. The quartet established a 12 minute lead over the main peloton, but Mulubrhan was later dropped, while the remaining front trio carried on.

With 40 kilometers left of the stage, the front trio had a ten-minute advantage on the main peloton where EF Education-EasyPost, UAE Team Emirates, Team DSM, and Ineos-Grenadiers were spearheading the chase.

The general classification favorites in the main peloton group had instructed their teammates to set a fast pace. This caused most sprinters to be dropped from the group on the Calascio climb (category 2).

The front trio managed to maintain a useful gap on the final category 1 climb to Gran Sasso d’Italia (Campo Imperatore) and it appeared certain that the stage winner would surprisingly be one of the breakaway optimists.

With 2,5 kilometers left of the stage, the pace in the main peloton group was slow and relaxed and it appeared that the expected battle between the general classification favorites would not take place – a huge disappointment for spectators present along the cold roads and at home.

1.2 kilometers from the finish things finally started to heat up in the main peloton as Team Movistar sent riders to the front to increase the pace. They were joined by Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-QuickStep.

With 700 meters the front trio was still together while Vacek accelerated. Bais and Petilli were able to follow. Petilli attacked but suffered a mechanical. Bais countered and crossed the finish line in solo fashion. Vacek finished second and Petilli completed the podium.

In the main peloton group Ineos-Grenadiers took to the front in the final kilometer. Roglic attacked shortly before the finish line, but Evenepoel crossed the finish line ahead of him.

Andreas Leknessund remains Giro d’Italia leader after today’s stage 7. 

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