<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">XDS Astana Team rider Davide Ballerini claimed victory on the streets of Naples, where Stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia finished. Ballerini entered the final corner in a strong position and launched his sprint with 250 meters to go, holding on to the lead all the way to the finish line.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">In the final corner, on rain-slick cobblestones, a crash occurred to Ballerini’s left, involving XDS Astana Team sprinter Matteo Malucelli. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“Victory comes when you least expect it. Today, our plan was to help Matteo Malucelli fight for the sprint win. The whole team worked for that, but in the end everything turned out differently. Entering the final corner, the riders to my left crashed, while I managed to pass on the inside line. Then I heard on the radio: ‘Go, go!’ – I think it was Matteo, who, as it turned out, was also involved in the crash. So after exiting the corner, I launched my sprint, giving 100% and hoping I could stay ahead until the finish. Everything worked out, and it’s something incredible! Every year, coming to the Giro d’Italia, I hoped to fight for a stage victory – it has always been my goal. And this time it finally happened, even if in such an unexpected way.</blockquote><blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">We have started this Giro really well. The whole team is motivated, the atmosphere is fantastic, everyone is working together toward the same goal and supporting each other. So first of all, I want to thank my teammates, both for today’s stage and for the first week of the Giro, which we are riding at a very high level. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported and continues to support me, especially my family and my girlfriend. Today is simply an amazing day”, – said Davide Ballerini.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">For XDS Astana Team this is already the team’s second stage victory at this year’s Giro – earlier Thomas Silva won Stage 2 and wore the pink jersey for two days.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">After six stages, Christian Scaroni sits in 3rd place in the General Classification, while XDS Astana Team leads the team classification.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Photo credit: ©SprintCycling

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Giro d’Italia. Davide Ballerini triumphs in Naples

XDS Astana Team rider Thomas Silva claimed a historic victory on Stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia. Becoming the first Uruguayan rider to compete in the Giro d’Italia, Thomas Silva secured an impressive stage win in an uphill sprint and moved into the overall race lead. Following today’s victory, Thomas Silva will start tomorrow’s stage in the pink jersey.<img src="https://assets.astana.imaga.co/IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG" alt="IMG_0393.JPG" srcset="https://assets.astana.imaga.co/thumbnail_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 245w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/small_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 500w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/medium_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 750w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/large_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="2000" height="1250">The second stage of the Giro d’Italia started in Burgas and finished after 221 kilometres in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. The race ended with an uphill sprint, where another XDS Astana Team rider, Christian Scaroni, delivered Thomas Silva into a perfect position in the final meters before the Uruguayan launched his winning sprint.<blockquote>“It’s an incredible victory and an incredible day. Yes, we really wanted to try something today, and we knew the stage suited us well. We had several scenarios in mind, but in the end it all came down to a sprint, and Cristian did an amazing job — he delivered me perfectly to the front so I could give everything in the sprint. This is something fantastic, and right now I’m overwhelmed with emotions, it’s hard to describe. My family is here with me these days, travelling along with the race, and it means so much to have them nearby and supporting me on a day like this. Today the whole team was outstanding, so this success belongs to all of XDS Astana Team. I honestly have no words — yes, I really wanted to fight for a stage win, but now I’m also wearing the pink jersey, and that’s completely unexpected. There’s not much more I can say right now, the emotions are overwhelming”, — said Thomas Silva after the stage victory.</blockquote>In addition to his stage victory, Thomas Silva also moved into the lead of the best young rider classification.Photo credit: @SprintCycling

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