U23
Giro di Sardegna: Donati takes second victory and crowns perfect week
A flawless team lead-out sets up Donati’s second stage win at the Giro di Sardegna. The Rookies also secure the points jersey and a strong GC result.
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On the fifth and final stage of the Giro di Sardegna from Nuoro to Olbia (177.3 km), Davide Donati once again proved his finishing speed. After already taking victory on stage two and finishing second on stage three, the Italian sprinter claimed his second win of the week in impressive fashion – perfectly delivered by his teammates.
The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies controlled the race throughout the day and kept everything together for an anticipated bunch sprint on the finishing straight in Olbia. In the closing kilometers, Gijs Schoonvelde and later Sebastian Putz executed a flawless lead-out, positioning Donati exactly where he needed to be. The 20-year-old opened his sprint in the final meters – perfectly timed – and powered to victory ahead of Davide Persico and Tilen Finkšt.
The lead-out was incredible – we’re such a young team and I’m really proud of everyone.
Davide Donati: “It’s never easy to repeat a win, but we had the motivation to go for it again. This time I launched my sprint in the final meters because I had started too early last time. I managed to stay in front and it felt even better than the first victory. The lead-out was incredible – we’re such a young team and I’m really proud of everyone. A big thank you to my teammates.”
Max Bock finished the Giro di Sardegna in ninth place.
© Sirotti
With his second stage success, Donati also secured the overall points classification – underlining his consistency and speed throughout the week. Beyond the sprint success, the Rookies also impressed in the general classification. German rider Max Bock finished ninth overall, highlighting his talent and delivering another strong result for the Development Team.
Two stage wins and a top ten result with Max Bock in the general classification give us a solid result to build on as we look ahead to the next races.
Gregor Gazvoda, Sports Director: “We played it very well in the closing kilometers and Davide proved that he was the fastest to bring it home. Overall, we have to be very satisfied with the race: two stage wins and a top ten result with Max Bock in the general classification give us a solid result to build on as we look ahead to the next races. I’m really proud of this team.”
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