Nicolas Roche has said Mikel Landa's abandoning the Giro is a huge blow to Team Sky, but the squad was now determined to go on the attack and try to win some stages (Photo: Sirotti)
Nicolas Roche has said while losing his team leader Mikel Landa to illness on stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia yesterday was a blow, the remaining riders were “not willing to give up”.
Writing in his Irish Independent Giro Diary, Roche said the remainder of the race would now be different.
And he suggested that meant Team Sky’s riders getting in breakways and trying to win stages.
“Althought losing Mikel was a big blow to our hopes of winning this Giro, there is still plenty to fight for over the next two weeks,” Roche writes.
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“And on the transfer to our next hotel after this evening, it was good to see that nobody is willing to give up just yet.
“Already we’re talking about sticking together, getting in breakaways and trying to win stages on this Giro.
“It may be a different race for us now, but it’s not over yet.”
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With Roche and fellow Irishman Philip Deignan riding for Landa on this Giro until he pulled out yesterday, their chances of going in breakaways and chasing their own results were limited.
But with the Spanish rider now gone home and Italian sprinter Elia Viviani already eliminated having missed a time cut, the remaining riders will get a much freer hand.
And because both Irishmen are very good climbers, are in good form at present and have won Grand Tour stages in the past, they are now in a great position to hit out and get up the road.
Roche said if Landa had fallen ill on a flatter stage the team may have been able to nurse him through it.
But with 220km facing the riders yesterday from Campi Bisenzio to Sestola, not to mention a summit finish, it was not the stage to be feeling unwell.
On today's stage 11 from Modena to Asolo, the two Irish riders finished side by side in a group 11:56 down on stage winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre Merida).
The Italian won in a three-up sprint from Andrey Amador (Movistar) and race leader Bob Jungels (Etixx-QuickStep).
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