Afonso Eulalio shocked to retain lead at Giro d’Italia after Stage 10 time trial - ‘I don’t believe it’

Filippo Ganna (Netcompany INEOS) won the time trial, on a day which saw Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike) cut into the Portuguese’s lead despite what TNT Sports' experts said was a "sub-par" effort from the pre-race GC favourite.

Eulalio had held a lead of over six minutes over the 29-year-old Danish rider after breaking away in a wet and difficult fifth stage last week, though that had been cut to around two minutes before the 10th stage.

Many had anticipated that the 24-year-old would give up the leader’s maillot rosa after the 42km time trial, but instead he held on to keep a lead of 27 seconds once the stage was completed.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the day’s riding had been concluded, Eulalio claimed he was surprised to still be on top of the general classification.

He said that time trials were not his favourite but that the pink jersey was giving him inspiration to stay on top.

He said: ”After TTs, I don’t expect to, no. I know I will fight. I will keep fighting also for the team for me, but yeah, TTs are not my best, this flat TT, this long TT.

”But I think this maillot rosa is giving some power, no?”

When asked for his reaction after finding out that he was still in the overall lead, Eulalio said: ”The first moment I start to think it’s not true, what they tell me. but in the last part they tell me two minutes, I have 30 seconds to keep the jersey, to keep fighting, but in the first moments they start to tell me this I don’t believe I did it.”

He added that he would now try to keep hold of the lead heading into the weekend. ”We fight for this. We will fight for this.”

When told that veteran team-mate Damino Caruso, a 38-year-old Italian, had said he was proud of being part of the squad that was helping the younger man prolong his spell at the top, Eulalio responded that it was in fact his privilege.

He concluded; ”It is an honour to have Damiano next to me. I’ll never forget this year. I don’t know what will happen next year. This year will stay in my memory.”

Ineos rider Thymen Arensen moved into third on GC following the time trial, just under two minutes behind, while Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) moved down to fourth, and Ben O’Connor (Team Jayco–AlUla) crept up to fifth spot.

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