Yesterday was supposed to be the day of redemption for Dylan Groenewegen and instead the Dutch sprinter had to settle for third place in the sprint at the Giro d'Italia, behind winner Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan in second place in Sofia. A bittersweet day for the Unibet Rose Rockets rider who confirmed he has regained brilliance and confidence, but who once again saw victory slip away over a matter of details.

Groenewegen had arrived at the Giro with great ambitions and was hoping to claim the first stage and wear the first pink jersey of the race, but on that occasion too a crash had complicated his plans, forcing him to lose ground at the decisive moment. An unfortunate incident that was added to what happened in the second stage, when the sprinter was involved in another crash. Fortunately, however, he suffered no serious physical consequences - although he did manage to reduce a shoulder dislocation on his own - and was able to continue the race without particular problems.

The team change during the winter had an evident impact on his performance. After leaving his old team, Groenewegen found in Unibet an ideal environment to make a comeback. The new adventure has restored serenity and confidence in his abilities that are also being reflected in his results: this season the Dutch sprinter has already claimed four victories, returning to being one of the most competitive sprinters in the peloton.

Yesterday, however, there remained the regret of a victory that seemed possible until the final meters. After the race, Groenewegen did not hide his disappointment, while praising his teammates' work:

«I had the right speed, but I launched too late. So the fault is not with the team who did perfect work, extraordinary work. What we lacked in the first few days was the right position up front. Yesterday we didn't make any mistakes».

Once again the victory went to the youngest sprinter in the group, Paul Magnier, who will also wear the cyclamen jersey of the points classification in Italy. «We knew where we needed to go. There were about 200 meters left when the sprint started and I had the right speed, but I didn't win and I feel a bit stupid. I'm here to win, obviously, and even though we had some problems I can't be satisfied with my performance yesterday. We set out for victory on the first day too, then we crashed. It can happen in a race, you know it can happen».

The Dutchman doesn't want to look back and for this reason, he is certain that in the coming days, he will be the one to cross the finish line first. «Now we need to move forward and stop thinking about what we could have achieved and just focus on what we can do in the coming days».

These are words that highlight the state of mind of a rider aware of being close to success. Groenewegen has finally regained the condition and confidence of his best days: now all that's missing is a victory to transform his Giro d'Italia into a true sporting rebirth.