At the end of the first "block" of the Giro d'Italia, the withdrawal roulette does not spare Bahrain Victorious: the day before yesterday in Piazza del Campo, Andrea Pasqualon did not reach the finish line. A high-quality and experienced team rider, Pasqualon is one of the many riders in the peloton who fell during the "sterrati" Sunday: while many managed to continue, he injured his neck and upper back and had to abandon. While the other 7 men of the squad led by Stangelj and Pellizotti will face the central week of the Giro, he'll undergo medical examinations to determine exactly what he has done and how much time he'll need to stay away from races. This is a total of withdrawal number 13 in this pink race: if no others are reported in the morning, 171 athletes will restart today from the Lucca-Pisa time trial.

Losing a teammate, however, did not shake the optimism of Antonio Tiberi, who with the support of two exceptional "bodyguards" like Caruso and Bilbao is definitely responding present. Sixth in both Tagliacozzo and Siena, the young Ciociaro captain currently occupies the podium of the general classification behind the UAE Del Toro-Ayuso pair. On the occasion of yesterday's well-deserved rest, Tiberi released the following statements: "I'm doing very well, day by day I felt my condition improve. My best moment was experienced right on the Sienese gravel roads, I really enjoyed it and I'm also happy not to have encountered difficulties like those at Oropa last year. Of course, the bad day in a grand tour is just around the corner, but so far it hasn't arrived and I hope to 'dispel the myth'. I'm third in the GC, where I hoped to be at this point, so today I don't rule out any type of objective. What makes me so confident is also the team I have with me: from the staff to my teammates, everyone is doing an excellent job, and the pressure that comes with my role helps me stay fully focused. I believe that, based on how well I know my potential in stage races, the second week will go even better than the first!