While all eyes were on teams like Ineos Grenadiers and Tom Pidcock's Pinarello-Q36.5 at this week's Tour of the Alps, a Continental outfit strode out on the first stage and pulled the rug from under them. Pleased as punch even to have been invited, Japan-registered Team Ukyo were not expecting to go home with a victory – let alone be wearing the race leader's green jersey.
But that's exactly what transpired on the first stage, based in the Alpine city of Innsbruck in Austria, when 23-year-old Tommaso Dati powered across the line in a chaotic bunch sprint. Runner-up was Pidcock, beaten into second place in a sprint for only the second time this season; the first, you may remember, was back at Milan-San Remo at the hands of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Dati, then, is in good company.
