Kasper Asgreen knew he had a big opportunity today.
After a spring disrupted by injury and bad luck, Kasper came to the Giro d’Italia in search of form and hopefully, if the legs were there, a stage win. And that’s exactly what Kasper achieved on stage 14. Against the odds – and against most predictions that the sprinters would have their day – Kasper gambled, suffered, and won.
“It was a tough day out there,” Kasper said at the finish. “It’s annoying that you have to destroy yourself completely like this to win races – but yeah, when it works out, it’s all worth it. I’m super, super pleased right now.”
From the start, Kasper was on a mission. He attacked early, joined a strong group, and never looked back. As the peloton navigated the technical finishing circuit, the breakaway dug in. They only had a minute to play with, but with crashes disrupting the chase behind, they knew they just had to keep hoping.
“The team gave me permission and the freedom to go for it today, and I’m super grateful for that,” he said. “I’ve tried it before, and I know once you’re deep into a Grand Tour – even if it’s a flat stage – if you’ve got a group that works well together, you can make it. Everybody’s tired. That’s what made the difference today.”
Sport director Juanma Gárate knew that they had a good plan coming into the day.
“We had that talk last night,” Juanma said. “Kasper asked, ‘What’s the plan for tomorrow?’ I could tell he wanted the opportunity. I said, ‘Do you want to go for it?’ And he said ‘yes’. From kilometer zero, he went all in. That’s what it takes.”
The finishing circuit in the rain only added to the drama.
“The roads were slick, and the course was really technical,” Kasper said. “It made it hard for the bunch to go faster than us at the front.”
It’s the squad’s second stage win of this Giro, and with Richard Carapaz climbing in the general classification to sit fourth overall, the team is flying.
“It means everything,” said Mikkel Honoré, who finished in the second group behind. “We all know Kasper really well, and he’s had a tough spring – he missed his biggest goal of the season with the Classics. So this just means the world to us. It couldn’t be a better day.”
“We’re obviously serious and working really hard,” Mikkel added, “but most importantly, we’re having fun. I think that’s what keeps us going – having a good time together, especially around Italy.”
With the GC still wide open and Monte Grappa looming, Juanma knows there’s still work to do. But today? Today, the plan worked.
“We were on the right side today,” he said. “Sometimes you are. Sometimes you’re not. But it was a great day for us.”
And for Kasper? One more box ticked.
“One step closer to winning stages in all three Grand Tours,” he said with a smile.
