'Hang back, play the game' – Luxury of stage win at Giro d'Italia presents Luke Plapp with differing break dynamics

Luke Plapp may already have one Giro d’Italia stage win under the belt, but, as he demonstrated on stage 11, that doesn’t mean he isn’t hungry for more. 

The Jayco-AlUla rider went out in the break once again on Wednesday’s 185km stage to Castelnovo ne' Monti, along with teammate Filippo Zana, but ultimately the small group out the front, which the Australian stage 8 winner had helped shape with an attack, were caught with 9km to go. 

"Very disappointing, extremely disappointing," Jayco-AlUla sport director David McPartland told Cyclingnews after the break was caught on Wednesday’s stage. 

"I thought we were in with a chance of another stage win but, also to be fair, with the break going so late and going at the bottom of the climb there, we knew it was a good group but with the reaction from UAE, riding behind, it was pretty obvious from a far way out that the chances weren't great."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG had kept the break in check, which McPartland said had left open the opportunity for another team to close it down. Lidl-Trek took up that opportunity.

"It’s a shame they chased from behind, but that’s racing. I don’t blame them," said Plapp in an interview put out by Australian broadcaster SBS on social media after the stage. 

"The way [Mathias] Vacek and Mads [Pedersen] are going this week, it's no surprise they want another stage. It's just unfortunate ... not being able to hold on, I was feeling really good. I was playing the game all day.

"I think that’s a luxury when you have got a stage already. There’s people more desperate than you, and you can sort of hang back, play the game and let them do all the work, and I guess try and take them to the finish line."

While it didn't work out this time for Jayco-AlUla, with Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) claiming the stage after leaping out past the break as the catch was occuring, there were positives to take away from a plan well-executed.

"We were present in the move and at one moment at the start of the climb, we had Filippo Zana and Plapp there," said McPartland. "So they were the two that I identified at the start of the day that I wanted in the break, they both made it, so I can't criticise our guys. We gave ourselves every chance."

Plapp being part of the caught break also meant that he was at the front at a crucial juncture to help the team's overall contender, Chris Harper, who dropped four places down the overall standings on Wednesday, from 15th to 19th and is now 4:35 behind the race leader Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) after finishing 1:21 back from Carapaz on stage 11.

"He had a bit of breathing difficulty, a bit of allergies there in the final, and I think he paid for it," said McPartland. "It was a bit disappointing ... but the big picture is that, I think if he gets through – maybe it was just in this area today with the allergies – his condition is excellent, and the last week suits him.

"So one minute here, it's disappointing today, but in the big scheme of things, it's not going to be a huge amount come next week and the Dolomites."

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