Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) claimed his first professional victory on stage 1 of the Giro di Sicilia thanks to a rasping acceleration on the hilltop finish in Agrigento.
The New Zealander led much of the way up the short climb, ostensibly on behalf of his UAE Team Emirates companion Diego Ulissi. With a shade over a kilometre to go, however, Ulissi smartly allowed a gap to open behind Fisher-Black, who proceeded to power clear.
With no one team willing to take up the pursuit behind, Fisher-Black quickly established a winning margin, and he came home 8 seconds ahead of Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa), who won the sprint for second ahead of Ulissi.
2022 Giro di Sicilia winner Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) took fourth ahead of Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Qazaqstan).
“Not at all,” Fisher-Black said when asked if his victory had been planned. “I was also expecting Diego to have a strong finish. All I was meant to do was pull into the bottom of the climb and go as far as I could. I looked back at one point, and no one was there. The DS on the radio just said, ‘go,’ so I just looked down and kept going. It definitely wasn’t the plan so I’m still in a bit of shock.”
How It Unfolded
UAE Team Emirates and Astana-Qazaqstan were prominent at the head of the peloton for much of the day as they kept tabs on the early break of seven riders. The last three survivors, Michael Belleri (Biesse – Carrera), Sebastian Schönberger (Human Powered Health) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), were swept up with 6km remaining, as the race made its way through the haunting Valley of the Temples below Agrigento.
Emanuele Ansaloni (Technipes) accelerated on the lower slopes of the climb, but there was little surprise when UAE Team Emirates massed on the front again with 2km to go. When the Giro d’Italia came this way in 2020, after all, Ulissi delivered a trademark sparata to claim stage victory ahead of Peter Sagan, and he was the obvious favourite here.
Fisher-Black’s searing effort helped to string out the front group, however, and when Ulissi swung off his rear wheel beneath the flamme rouge, the 21-year-old was encouraged to maintain his effort.
“I kept looking back and I could see the group just behind me,” Fisher-Black said. “It was only 100m before the line when I realised I’d get there before them.”
Fisher-Black raced for the Jumbo-Visma development team before turning professional midway through 2021 with UAE Team Emirates, but he missed the second half of last season when he fractured his femur in a crash at the Boucles de la Mayenne.
“This win is really important for me. The last year has been so hard, I broke my leg and coming back has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But this has made it all worth it,” said Fisher-Black, who has a 12-second lead on Albanese in the overall standings. With two flat stages to come, he may well carry the overall lead into the final stage, where compatriot George Bennett and Rafal Majka will also form part of UAE’s GC challenge.
“We also have Rafal and George for GC and on the last day they’ll be really strong. I can try, but first I want to enjoy this and soak it in. It’s a big win for me.
Results
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