NOVI LIGURE, Italy (AP) 鈥� Alec Segaert claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory and Bahrain Victorious teammate Afonso Eul谩lio increased his overall lead of the Giro d鈥橧talia on Thursday.
The 12th stage was expected to end in a bunch sprint but Segaert jumped from the peloton with just over three kilometers remaining and the Belgian rider even had time to lift up his arms in celebration as he crossed the line.
鈥淲ow, it鈥檚 super amazing. It鈥檚 my first Giro d鈥橧talia 鈥� and then to do it here on the biggest stage, it鈥檚 amazing,鈥� said the 23-year-old Segaert, who revealed he had planned the move the night before.
鈥淚 had it always in mind … this was my chance to go in the final when they were all on the limit, to push one more effort and then for this result you want to give everything.鈥�
Toon Aerts won the sprint for second place, 3 seconds behind his compatriot at the end of the mainly flat 175-kilometer (109-mile) route from Imperia to Novi Ligure. Guillermo Thomas Silva was third.
Most of the pure sprinters had been dropped on the two climbs shortly before the finale.
Nearly all of the general classification contenders were in the main bunch, but Eul谩lio picked up six bonus seconds earlier in the stage so increased his advantage to 33 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard.
Thymen Arensman is third overall, 2:03 behind Eul谩lio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible not to be happy with this jersey but today is incredible, it鈥檚 perfect,” Eul谩lio said. “Yesterday we changed rooms, (Segaert) is my roommate now and we planned this. But the plans sometimes change.
鈥淏ut when you do the plans and they work out in the race, it鈥檚 perfect, perfect. In the final we arrive with the victory, it鈥檚 incredible.鈥�
Friday鈥檚 13th stage is another mainly flat leg that features two lower-classified climbs toward the end. It is a huge target for Italian rider Filippo Ganna, who , as the 189-kilometer (117-mile) route from Alessandria ends in his hometown of Verbania.
The 109th men鈥檚 Giro ends on May 31 in Rome.
The women鈥檚 Giro runs from May 30-June 7 with Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini as the defending champion.
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