Bruno Armirail became the first Frenchman since Laurent Jalabert in 1999 to put on the pink jersey of leader of the Tour of Italy on Saturday at the end of the 14th stage where the Groupama-FDJ rider was part of the breakaway. The French time trial champion, who finished in a small group 50 seconds behind the winner of the day, the German Nico Denz, takes the lead in the general classification with a little less than two minutes ahead of the Briton Geraint Thomas, who came far behind in the pack of favorites.
“It wasn’t really the plan, the goal was to take the breakaway and go for the stage win. I can’t realize I’m taking the pink jersey, I can’t believe it,” said he commented, thumb and fist raised on the podium. “It became a reality in the last five kilometers, before I didn’t really think about it. For the team it’s great and for me it’s a dream,” he added.
Pink suits you rather (very) well, @BrunoArmirailpic.twitter.com/NdawGbfsEi
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) May 20, 2023
5th in the second time trial last Sunday
If a final victory is difficult to envisage for the Haut-Pyrénéen in this Giro, especially in view of the very mountainous third week which awaits the peloton, it is a great reward for those who achieve a very successful Tour. In addition to fulfilling its role as team member of Thibaut Pinot, like the day before in the first pass, he finished fifth in the second time trial last Sunday.
The 29-year-old rider, who hasn’t won a professional race except his national title in the time trial, was 23rd in the general classification on the morning of the stage on Saturday, 18 minutes and 37 seconds behind Geraint Thomas. No Frenchman had worn the pink tunic since 1999 when Laurent Jalabert wore the jersey for eight stages, before handing it over to Italian Marco Pantani. Laurent Fignon remains the last Frenchman to have won the Tour of Italy, in 1989, and the third French rider to win the Giro after Jacques Anquetil (1960, 1964) and Bernard Hinault (1980, 1982, 1985).