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sports Dialuna 23 Mei 2022
Carapaz shakes off early crash to keep Giro lead in Stage 15

on the finishing climb to win — who wore the yellow jer- with 18.8 kilometers (12
the 15th stage on Sunday. sey for two stages during the miles) to go, his breakaway
Carapaz, the Ecuadorian who 2019 Tour de France — threw companions had no answer.
took the lead a day earlier, re- his sunglasses into the crowd Santiago Buitrago crossed
mained seven seconds ahead just before crossing the finish second, 1:31 behind, and An-
of Jai Hindley and 30 seconds line. tonio Pedrero was third, 2:19
ahead of João Almeida. “This is my most beauti- behind.
Carapaz, the 2019 Giro ful win. It’s better than the Carapaz crossed nearly eight
champion and an Olympic yellow jersey at the Tour de minutes behind.
gold medalist last year, was France, better than my first “I chose to attack solo with
involved in a mass crash ear- wins at the Giro because I 19 kilometers to go because
ly on when he fell off of his went through difficult times it was the steepest part of the
bike onto the grass lining a in the past two years, with climb and I wasn’t sure if I’d
flat road. crashes, illnesses and CO- be able to drop everyone later
Carapaz said there was “no VID,” Ciccone said. on,” Ciccone said.
consequence at all” from the Ciccone, who rides for the After the race’s final rest day
crash. Trek-Segafredo team, clocked on Monday, the Giro re-
“I just had to change bikes,” 4 hours, 37 minutes over the sumes Tuesday with one of
he said. “Then it went 178-kilometer (111-mile) leg the sport’s toughest climbs
smoothly. The scenario of from Rivarolo Canavese to up the Mortirolo along the
the race was pretty good. The Cogne in the northwestern 202-kilometer (126-mile) leg
first part was hard. Then we Valle d’Aosta region. from Salo to Aprica. The an-
had it under control.” The final climb to Cogne was nual wine stage is dedicated
COGNE, Italy (AP) — overall lead during his For his third career Giro a lengthy 22.2 kilometers (14 to the Sforzato variety of the
Escorted up three long first day wearing the pink victory after also winning miles) but was steep only at Valtellina area.
stages in 2016 and 2019, Cic-
the start and had an average The race ends next Sunday in
climbs by his powerful jersey.
Ineos Grenadiers team, cone was cheered on by large gradient of just 4.3%. Requir- Verona.q
ing about an hour of climb-
crowds lining the cobble-
Richard Carapaz shook Italian rider Giulio Ciccone
off an early crash to hold got into an early breakaway stoned streets in the finale. ing, it was still a challenge
As is his tradition, Ciccone and when Ciccone attacked
onto the Giro d’Italia then launched a solo attack
Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in Spain, Leclerc abandons

By JOSEPH WILSON battles with Perez and Ver- The circuit is notoriously
Associated Press stappen and held the cham- difficult with limited pass-
MONTMELÓ, Spain pion up as Verstappen tried ing zone and the pole-sitter
(AP) — Nothing was go- to recover from his own spin. has won 23 of 32 times on
ing right for Max Verstap- Mercedes had won the race the 4.6-kilometer (2.8-mile)
pen at the Spanish Grand the past five consecutive Barcelona-Catalunya circuit.
Prix: the wind had blown years with Lewis Hamilton, If not for Leclerc’s power
his car off course, his Red and the seven-time champi- failure, Verstappen probably
Bull was struggling, and on finished fifth on Sunday. wouldn’t have had a chance.
top rival Charles Leclerc He’d fallen to the back of the Valtteri Bottas finished sixth
seemed headed for a sure grid on the opening lap be- for Alfa Romeo, Esteban
victory. cause of contact with Kevin Ocon was seventh in his Al-
Magnussen at the start and pine and Lando Norris was
His fortunes turned when Hamilton had to stop for new eighth for McLaren, despite
Leclerc lost power and his tires. being seen vomiting just be-
Ferrari suddenly sputtered to Mercedes has struggled fore the start of the race.
a near stop. through the first six races of Norris said after he’s suffer-
Then Verstappen’s own Red the F1 season as its new 2022 ing from tonsillitis, and com-
Bull team intervened by or- car is still a work in progress. bined with the heat, it was
dering Sergio Pérez to get Russell, in his first season “one of the hardest races I’ve
out of Verstappen’s way. with Mercedes, has finished ever done.”
The reigning Formula One “It’s unfair but OK,” said pened?” he screamed on his higher than Hamilton in five “I was feeling really unwell
champion went from from Pérez, who was denied the radio. of the six races. before the race,” Norris said.
minimizing damage Sunday ability to race for his third ca- Once out of his Ferrari, he “It was a very pleasing week- “I’ve been a bit on the back-
to winning the race and re- reer F1 victory. said it was an engine failure. end with lots of positive foot this weekend as most
claiming the points lead. The stakes were too high “I lost engine power and had signs, even though I’m not of my energy has been spent
“Not an easy start to the race, for Red Bull and Verstap- to stop,” Leclerc said. “I don’t yet ecstatic,” said Mercedes fighting off this illness. I’ve
but we turned it around,” pen, who trailed Leclerc by know what the problem is head Toto Wolff. “With Lewis had to miss a lot of engineer-
Verstappen said after his 19 points ahead of the race yet, but it hurts.” we had probably the fastest ing sessions, which has com-
fourth win of the season, but now holds a six-point ad- It closed a terrible day for Fer- race car of all. George put up promised my weekend, and I
third consecutive. vantage in defense of his first rari, which started first and a spectacular defense to Max, definitely wasn’t as prepared
Then the Dutchman thanked world championship. Pérez, third but Carlos Sainz Jr. was the way he positioned the for the Grand Prix as I could
Pérez, who might have won who registered the fastest lap gobbled up at the start and car was spot-on, the kind of have been.”
himself but settled for second in Sunday’s race, is third in dropped to sixth before the racing we love to see, and he Local favorite Fernando
when Red Bull issued team the standings and 19 points first turn. Seeking a victory managed the car well at the Alonso, who has struggled all
orders. behind Leclerc. in his home grand prix, Sainz end to bring home another season, recovered nicely from
“He is a great teammate,” “I am happy for the team, but later was blown off course podium. a last-place start after Alpine
Verstappen said. we need to speak later,” Pérez by the wind in the same spot “We unlocked the potential changed his car’s engine. He
Pérez took over the lead af- told his team by radio after as Verstappen but ultimately of the car by tweaking things finished ninth ahead of Yuki
ter Leclerc, who started from the 1-2 Red Bull finish. rallied to finish fourth. on the stops and so today was Tsunoda in his Alphatauri.
the pole and led the first 27 Leclerc, meanwhile, had a Sainz was beaten by George the most valuable race for us “From last to the points, I
laps, lost power. But with 17 terrific start and easily cleared Russell, who finished third to compare the two cars. Our can’t ask for anything more,”
laps remaining, Red Bull told Verstappen and controlled for his second podium of the understanding took a big step Alonso said.
him to get out of Verstap- the race until Lap 27. season with Mercedes. Rus- forward and there’s definitely Next up: Leclerc’s home race
pen’s way. “No! No! No! What hap- sell also had an impressive more to come.” in Monaco.q