Davide Piganzoli, third in the “queen stage” and second overall at O Gran Camiño

Yesterday, a 2nd place in the ITT earned him 3rd overall; today, in the queen stage, a 3rd place lifted him to 2nd in the GC, 37 seconds behind leader Derek Gee. Davide Piganzoli continues his O Gran Camiño in great style on the eve of tomorrow’s finale in Santiago de Compostela.

It was clear from the fierce battle to get into the breakaway that today’s stage was highly coveted. In the first half of the route, a couple of lone riders managed to escape. It took the first of four KOM to see a group of ten form at the front, including Diego Sevilla for Team Polti VisitMalta. However they were caught on the next climb, the Alto Catroventos, 36 kilometers from the finish, where a counterattack of five riders including Alessandro Tonelli broke away — an excellent move to relieve teammates in the peloton of chasing responsibilities. This attempt was reeled in 17 km from the finish on the Pitinidoira, the hardest climb of the entire race. There Cort Nielsen dropped from the group of top contenders, allowing Piga to move ahead of him in the GC. While Gee (Israel) surged ahead to consolidate his yellow jersey, ultimately losing the sprint for victory at O Cebreiro to Chumil (Burgos, just a few meters behind the talented Valtellinese rider outsprinted Cepeda (Movistar) for third place.

Piganzoli: “Strong performances in demanding races like O Gran Camiño are crucial for both my growth and that of Polti VisitMalta. Tomorrow, we will defend what we have built and aim for another great result!”

Sports Director Jesús Hernández: “This was a great team effort, a perfect example of what it means to believe in a teammate and work for him, with everyone doing their job exceptionally well. We are competing on equal terms with top-level rivals — an extraordinary sign.”