This is already the eighth time that a breakaway has reached the end in this Giro in only fifteen stages, including two time trials. A very unusual ratio on a Grand Tour where sprint finishes and explanations between favorites regularly condemn the most daring attempts at isolation.

But this year, the first of the general classification are so far content with a marking to the breeches and are obviously waiting for the third week very mountainous, from Tuesday, to launch the big fight.

This freeze of hostilities also benefits Bruno Armirail, the first Frenchman in pink since Laurent Jalabert in 1999, who defended without concern his tunic that he will be able to admire throughout the rest day Monday.

French cyclist Bruno Armirail jersey pink in the Giro d'Italia after the 15th in Bergamo on May 21, 2023. © Luca Bettini /

On paper, however, the 15th stage was complicated, a real mini-Tour of Lombardy, with a succession of sharp climbs and descents.

But the favourites waited until the very last bump, in the streets of Bergamo finally bathed in sunshine, to finally launch some skirmishes after an acceleration of Joao Almeida that only the best managed to follow.

But the pace relaxed as he approached the line and Thibaut Pinot, caught in a break, was able to pick up, while Bruno Armirail cut the line on his pink-painted bike with only 33 seconds behind his pursuers in the overall.

"Thrills" for Armirail

Before a mountain stage that promises to be too hard for him on Tuesday, the Frenchman is still 1 min 08 sec ahead of the British Geraint Thomas and 1 min 10 sec on the Slovenian Primoz Roglic.

"The guys did a great job, I had to give it my all to the line to try to keep him. I'll spend the day with it, it's great," said the Groupama-FDJ rider.

He insisted that we had to "be realistic: it will be complicated to keep the jersey on Tuesday". But he had "chills" to live his first day in pink.

"I had a lot of encouragement by the side of the road. I really felt what it was like to have the jersey. I'm not going to experience that often in my career," said the model teammate.

In front, McNulty, winner last year of a stage of Paris-Nice, signed the best victory of his career.

The riders of the Giro d'Italia cycling during the ascent of the Selvino during the 15th stage between Seregno and Bergamo on May 21, 2023. © Luca Bettini /

"My joy is indescribable. That was my goal coming here, but I got sick after the time trial. I got back in shape today," commented the man who was one of Tadej Pogacar's lieutenants in the mountains during the last Tour de France.

The American beat in the sprint the Irishman Ben Healy, great animator of this Giro and solo winner of the 8th stage, as well as the Italian Marco Frigo who tried a desperate comeback in the final.

© 2023 AFP