Meintjes escapes breakaway for solo victory at Giro dell'Appennino

Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) won the Giro dell’Appennino for his first victory of the season. He broke free of a small breakaway group to win solo in Genoa.

Natnael Tesfazion (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli) won the bunch sprint for second while Meintjes' teammate Georg Zimmermann took third.

Both Meintjes and Zimmermann were in a leading group of five riders, accompanied by Alessandro Verre and Michel Ries for Arkéa-Samsic and Tesfatsion, on the fifth and final categorised climb of the long 191.7km route. On the winding path towards Bolzaneto, four riders bridged to the front to make it nine riders with 10km to go - Paul Double (Mg K Vis), Alessio Martinelli (Bardiani CSF Faizanè), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Ivan Moreno (Equipo Kern Pharma).  

With 4km to go Meintjes launched his attack and rode solo to the line, with the bunch sprint of the remaining eight riders taken by half a wheel by Tesfatsion, 1:37 back.

Finishing among the group of 10 chasers, who finished 4:42 and 4:46 behind the winner, was 50-year-old Davide Rebellin  (Work Service Marchiol Vega), who finished 19th in his return to racing after suffering a double fracture to his leg in a crash at the Memorial Marco Pantani last September 2021.

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