Luke Plapp dashed to a portable toilet immediately after crossing the finish line in Sappada but emerged with a smile a few minutes later after finally resolving a digestive problem that wrecked his hopes of winning stage 19 at the Giro d'Italia.
The Australian national champion was part of the breakaway that fought for the victory, but Plapp was hampered by needing to stop for multiple ‘poop stops.’ He eventually finished fifth on the stage but 2:27 down on winner Andrea Vedrame (Decathlon AG2R) who soloed to victory in the rain.
“The legs are really, really good, I was just having a lot of stomach problems, which put me in a really uncomfortable position. I had to keep stopping and chasing back,” Plapp explained after emerging from the portable toilet with a smile of relief.
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“It was a very, very uncomfortable four hours, but I was happy with the race.”
Plapp’s problems were similar to those of Tom Dumoulin in the 2017 Giro d’Italia, when the Dutchman stopped for a now famous ‘poop stop’ while wearing the maglia rosa.
Dumoulin’s moment was caught on camera, but he did not lose any time. Plapp’s stops were more discreet but cost him a chance of the stage victory.
“The first time I had to stop, it cost me a lot to get back, and when I got back, there was a steep four-kilometre climb halfway through the race,” he explained.
“It took a lot of energy to get back to the front. It’s a shame because I would have been up there easily if I’d started with them.”
Riders take on huge quantities of carbohydrates during Grand Tours and, especially, when they go on the attack during mountain stages. However, Plapp was hit by the fatigue of the Giro d’Italia rather than an overdose of carbs, sugars or fibre.
“Today was no different to any other day in my career. I’ve had stomach problems twice in my career,” he explained.
“I’m pretty good at fuelling and today was no different to any other protocol I’ve done. It was just one of those days. 20 days into a Grand Tour, and your stomach is a bit cooked. I don’t think there was anything I could have done about it.”
