In 2011, after the victory at Alpe d'Huez, breaking away from Contador, he had become the enfant prodige of French cycling, the redestined to give back to France the pleasure of winning the Tour again, that yellow jersey on the Champs Elysées that has been missing since 1985, the year of the fifth Bernard's success: hope was never misplaced because since then Pierre Rolland hasn't won anything important. Only a few placements in the top ten of the Tour (2012 and 2014) and of the Giro (fourth in 2014), a tenacious loser which the French soon turned their backs on by betting on Thibaut Pinot.
And the stubbornness with which he had been looking for success again for years was rewarded yesterday with the solitary victory in Canazei after a stage in which Rolland has always played on the attack right from the passage to the Gpm of Aprica up to the 8km stretch from the finish line surprising all his breakaway companions including Jan Polanc, the Slovenian ruler of Etna, who for a few km in the middle of the race was also the virtual pink jersey, having the pacesetters accumulated an advantage of about 13 minutes over group of Dumoulin and the other big names.
After the Italians, the fasting of successes in this Giro also ends for the Frenchman with Rolland who after the finish line lifted his bicycle aloft as a sign of liberating jubilation while at 24” Rui Costa regulated the squad of immediate pursuers. The peloton arrived after more than 7 minutes of a stage in which the men in the classification decided on a general truce also for the route which, despite crossing the enchanting Dolomite landscapes, did not entice with jolts. The only thrill was given by Quintana who risked falling by throwing the empty canteen in a bad way.
After the shock of Bormio, in Canazei the ranking in the neighborhoods has remained unchanged. The physical alarm seems to have completely subsided for Dumoulin who keeps the pink jersey always with 31" on Quintana, 1'12" on Nibali, and 2'38" on Pinot, the Giro man for the French, 2'41" on the Russian Ilnur Zakarin. In the top ten the only novelty is the entry in 10th place of Polanc who overtook Adam Yates. In fact, Dumoulin's pink dream is three days away, assuming that in the last stage, the Milan time trial, the Dutchman is the big favourite.
Today the pink jersey anticipates one day under attack. “We have to try,” he says, confirming the fears of Dumoulin, a Nibali revitalized by the success in Bormio. A verb in the plural that could imply a possible alliance with Quintana and perhaps with Pinot to put Dumoulin in difficulty and then compete against each other, the Shark and the Condor, the success of the Giro. And Quintana and Nibali, if they want to win it, will necessarily have to come out into the open today in the Dolomite stage, from Moena to Ortisei, with five Gpm on passes that created the legend of the Giro: Pordoi, Valparola, Grdena and then facing the Pinei in the final and the ascent to Pontives just four km from the finish.
In 137 km without a meter of plain you have to climb about 4 thousand meters. A deadly test for Dumoulin, which if he passes it unscathed, would certainly strengthen his chances of final success. To oust him from his direct rivals, only the arrival on the high ground in Piancavallo on Friday and that of Saturday in Asiago with Monte Grappa would remain. Quintana and even Nibali may regret having climbed Etna as if it were a workout. But then – it was the fourth stage – no one could predict that the Dumoulin factor would break into the Giro.
