After all his hard work and preparation for the first road stage of the 2019 Giro d'Italia, a moment's hesitation was finally what made the real difference for Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-QuickStep) between fighting for victory and having to settle for second.
Viviani crossed the line just behind Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe), clearly close enough and strong enough to be in contention in what was a very fast sprint, but unable to overhaul the German National Champion in the closing metres.
Anything but a bad loser, Viviani came off the team bus after a shower to answer questions to Italian television and several other reporters, regretting he had not taken the victory but wiling to analyse why it had happened as well.
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What would have been his sixth stage victory in the Giro d'Italia failed to happen, the Italian national champion explained, partly because initially he had focussed too hard on the wrong man - Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates). Then, having hesitated too long, Viviani could not get on terms with Ackermann. However, Viviani also paid tribute to the German for what he said was a classy first Grand Tour win.
"I think maybe I waited too much and then when Ackermann came up with double the speed I just keep his wheel and try to jump him," Viviani told Cyclingnews. "But it was a tailwind and it's not easy to gain one position when it's a tail wind, so he had a good speed and he just kept going on the line with this speed.
"I tried to go over him but I lost by a wheel, maybe half a wheel, I don't know. I was close but it was too late.
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