Furious Georg
Photography by Getty Images
After days of attacking, Georg Steinhauser claims his first victory in professional cycling – and Cannondale’s 60th at the Giro.
A tradition of speed runs in the family. His father is a former pro rider and grand tour competitor. His uncle is the prolific Jan Ulrich. But now, after Stage 17 of the Giro, 22-year-old Georg Steinhauser's legacy is his own.
Days of continuous attacks had to pay off – including on the Queen Stage, number 15, heading up Passo di Foscagno, where Steinhauser had taken third on the day after being chased down. But it was today's Stage that was to be Georg's, and in dominant fashion, as he crossed the line well ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE–Emirates) in the Maglia Rosa, the next rider to do so.
With 59km to go, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) broke away to claim nine points, summiting first over Paso Gobbera. Only a few moments later, Steinhauser made his move, too, chasing aboard his LAB71 SuperSix EVO. Rain over the pass made for challenging conditions that hampered speed on descents, but the cooler temperatures aided the climbers, who kept the pace extraordinarily high as the final ascent up Paso del Brocon began – including sections that hit 13% grade.
By 49km, Steinhauser had caught Ghebreigzabhier, creating a two-man breakaway. The EF Education-EasyPost rider then surged to claim the points at Canal San Bovo, but Ghebreigzabhier kept with him. For a while, the two men would swap the lead back and forth over the rollercoaster terrain that created the approach to Paso del Brocon – but with 34km left, Steinhauser finally shook Ghebreigzabhier.
As the final climb leveled out into a flat finish, the course's barriers narrowed. Fans shouted and banged on the banners. Steinhauser's smile beamed brightly. He sat up and lifted his arms ahead of the line. As he came to a stop, he threw himself, still smiling, into the arms of his EF Education-EasyPost colleagues.
"The Queen Stage [Stage 15] was an unbelievable stage," Steinhauser said afterwards. "I could already be happy with [that]... but when I rolled to the sign-on, I thought to myself, 'f***, I have good legs, maybe I will win today'."
As he crossed the finish line, the young German became only the third rider from the pro class of 2001 to claim a major grand tour win, while also landing Cannondale’s 60th stage victory at the Giro d’Italia.
