While Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic, both in their thirties, look at each other, analyze each other, wait to see if their rival fails first, save their strength and leave everything for the third and final week of the Giro, others are filling their backpacks.

It is the parable about the ant and the grasshopper, or the tortoise and the hare. Neither the British’s Ineos nor the Slovenian’s Jumbo, two of the most important structures in the peloton, have managed to win in these first 15 days. Their goal is to wear pink in Rome next Sunday, May 28, and they trust everything there.

That is also what the UAE aspires to with João Almeida, younger, 24 years old, in his fourth Giro, fourth in 2020 and who had to leave last year when he was fighting for the podium. But his team is not going to play everything on that card. And, for the moment, the choral bet is turning out very profitable.

Tadej Pogacar’s team, which in Italy does not have the Slovenian genius or Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso, Marc Soler or Marc Hirschi, among others, has already won two victories in the pink race.

The first came from sprinter Ackerman, who won the sprint on stage eleven. The second was scored by Brandon McNulty who beat Healy (EF) and Frigo (Israel) at the finish line in Bergamo after a long break. They were the three survivors of the adventure that crossed the four mountain passes along the Lombard roads.

McNulty, 25, had not been born when Kiefel and Hampsten were the first Americans to win stages in the Giro, back in 1985, wearing the 7-Eleven jersey. In the last 10 years, it is only the fourth success for the country of stars and stripes after those of Dombroski (2021), Haga (2019) and Van Garderen (2017).

The UAE cyclist held up well to Healy’s latest attack in Bergamo’s Citta Alta. On those same ramps, seven minutes later, in the group of the chosen ones, his partner Almeida woke Thomas and Roglic from their slumber of a zero week. The Portuguese accelerated and all the favorites responded. All except Armirail, the leader on loan, who dropped 33s but who arrives in pink for the last and decisive week in which, finally, things must be cleared up. For now, the sun has risen.