Egan Bernal: 'I didn't plan to go for the intermediate sprint'
Remco Evenepoel only managed to take one second from the race leader after a frantic intermediate sprint for bonus seconds
![Egan Bernal and Remco Evenepoel after the intermediate sprint on stage nine of Giro d'Italia 2021](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QfEmbeSTyfRDqakrhZeMQi-415-80.jpg)
Egan Bernal finished the first week in the pink jersey after a very fast-paced 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2021, albeit with one second less of a buffer over second place.
Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) looked to be comfortably within in the peloton as Bora-Hansgrohe ripped the race to shreds on the final two climbs of the day for the eventual stage winner, Peter Sagan.
But the final intermediate sprint, which gives out three, two, and one bonus seconds threw a potential spanner in the works for the British team as Deceuninck - Quick-Step came up en masse to lead out Remco Evenepoel to take back some time on Bernal.
Ineos crowded Evenepoel with Filippo Ganna coming to the front with Bernal on his wheel and Gianni Moscon along with Jhonatan Narváez on Evenepoel's wheel. But when Ganna swung off, Evenepoel continued his effort with no-one but Narváez able to come round.
>>> Giro d'Italia 2021 standings: The latest results from the 104th edition
After the stage, Bernal said: "I didn't plan to go for the intermediate sprint. I just saw the opportunity to go behind Remco. I only took one second but it didn't take me any effort.
"We're here also to enjoy the race and this was a nice way to do so. It was actually a harder stage than we thought it would be this morning. Bora did a great job. Tomorrow I'll train during the rest day and I'll prepare for the very important stage coming up on Wednesday."
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Evenepoel now sits 14 seconds down on the 2019 Tour de France champion going into the first rest day of the race with a stage that takes in more than 30km of gravel roads from Perugia to Montalcino over 162km.
In a post-stage TV interview, Bernal said on stage 10's intermediate sprint: "I was just following Pippo [Filippo Ganna]. I saw an opportunity and I just went behind him. Finally, if you're going behind him it's easier."
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Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
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