2024 Giro d’Italia Stage 17 | Highlights
Report
Georg Steinhauser delivered a career-defining performance at the Giro d’Italia, soloing to his first professional win on the challenging Passo Brocon. Just two days after an impressive third-place finish on the queen stage in Livigno, the young German rider capitalized on his strong form to claim victory on stage 17.
“It’s something unbelievable,” Steinhauser said after the finish. “Already on stage 8, I noticed that I had good legs. I thought maybe I had the legs to win a stage. The queen stage was an unbelievable day. I could have already been happy just with the queen stage of this Giro. And today, already when I rode to the sign-on, I thought to myself, ‘I have good legs, maybe I will win today.’ I went from the beginning in the break. It was a little strange because we got caught by the peloton again. But at one moment, I decided I have to try again, and it worked out.”
The stage was marked by freezing cold temperatures and pouring rain, challenging the peloton with five classified climbs. Steinhauser was one of the first to attack on the opening climb and made it into a selective breakaway after the Passo Sella. Although the break was reeled back in by a group of GC favorites with 60 kilometers to go, Steinhauser remained undeterred.
After briefly hanging on to the GC group, Steinhauser seized an opportunity on the Passo Gobbera, attacking alongside Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek). The two riders worked together to extend their lead, but it was on the penultimate climb, the Passo Brocon, that Steinhauser made his decisive move. Attacking with three kilometers to go on the climb, he quickly built a gap and maintained it through the descent, reaching the base of the final climb with over three minutes’ advantage.
“I was super nervous on the last climb,” Steinhauser admitted. “I knew I had to push all the way to the finish. I heard at one point that he was attacking, but I was already 2 km to go, so I thought, ‘I will make it.’”
Steinhauser’s victory was a significant achievement for both him and his team, reflecting the hard work and persistence they have shown throughout the race.
“It’s very emotional and obviously a very important victory,” said sport director Matti Breschel. “This is what we were aiming for. It’s stage 17, and we’ve been so close and built up a lot of emotions. So when it happens like this, with Georg being in the break the whole day, getting caught, going again, and still managing to pull it off, it’s really impressive and so well deserved. I’m really happy and proud of Georg.”
Breschel emphasized the importance of this win for Steinhauser’s development and future career.
“It’s for sure not the last time we see Georg,” Breschel added. “It’s proof he has the talent, and it’s super important for his development.”
As the team celebrates this hard-earned victory, they remain committed to pushing all the way to Rome. For now, however, the focus is on savoring Steinhauser’s incredible achievement.
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