Published May 10, 2017 04:06AM
Bike racing would be pretty dull if we could accurately predict exactly how races were going to unfold. Thankfully, we can’t, and the opening stages of this year’s Giro d’Italia have been a case in point.
What was supposed to be a bunch sprint on stage 1 turned into a superb solo victory for Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) with the Austrian’s lead-out effort becoming a late solo move. Stage 3 was defined by a late surge from QuickStep Floors that split the bunch in the crosswinds and set Fernando Gaviria up for victory. And then on stage 4, a stage that all expected to go the way of the GC men, the breakaway somehow survived. Or at least Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) did, by less than 20 seconds.
It’s all made for an exciting first four days of the 100th Giro d’Italia, with four different stage winners and four different overall leaders. We hope you enjoy the following gallery, showcasing some of the memorable moments from stages 1 to 4.