9. Jan Hirt conquers the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia featuring the mythical Passo del Mortirolo.
« I always reach my best level in the third week of a Grand Tour. But on this Giro, the feeling was good from the start and I didn't really know where I would be. I was looking forward to the queen stage with the Mortirolo, one of my favorite climbs. I joined a good breakaway, I felt strong and I managed to drop all my opponents on the final climb. I dreamed of the stage victory. But I had a mechanical problem that prevented me from getting up the pedals. I had to be very careful on the descent towards the finish, in the rain, and at the same time not allow the pursuers to come back. It was a huge relief to cross the line, into the arms of many cheering people. This win gave me so much confidence. Afterwards, I knew I could maintain this level to achieve an exceptional result in the general classification. »
