Nicolas Prodhomme: “Victory smiles on the bold”
“It’s incredible. I still haven’t fully realized it. I started to believe it only a few hundred meters from the finish line. The day was tough right from the start. Dorian (Godon) positioned me well for the first climb, but the road was very steep, and I wasn’t sure I could hold my place in the breakaway. The more passes we climbed, the better I felt, and on the Col de Joux my legs were responding well. I tried to manage my effort as best as I could to avoid suffering from the heat, and in the end, I told myself I had to go for it, that I had to be bold. I had nothing to lose and believed in my chances. The last few kilometers were very tough, but I managed to hold on. I’m very proud of this victory — it rewards not only the team but also my entire journey.”
Key figure: 6
It’s the team’s 6th victory in the last 7 editions of the Giro. Nans Peters in 2019, Aurélien Paret-Peintre in 2023, Valentin Paret-Peintre in 2023, Andrea Vendrame in 2021 and 2024, and finally Nicolas Prodhomme today.
News: Nicolas Prodhomme wins the toughest stage of the Giro
Breaking away more than 150 km from the finish, Nicolas Prodhomme claimed victory in one of the most challenging stages of this Giro d’Italia, featuring nearly 5,000 meters of elevation gain under intense heat. Leading the race from start to finish, he broke clear 28 km from the line on the Col de Joux and managed to hold off the chasing leaders all the way to the final stretch.
