Sir Dave Brailsford says Ineos planned to attack from the first gravel sector at Giro d’Italia 2021
‘The goal was Filippo goes into the first section first and just puts the hammer down’
![Egan Bernal extends his lead in the Giro d'Italia 2021](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DkjiemnQ7TeExK8ZbBm7GS-415-80.jpg)
Sir Dave Brailsford said Ineos Grenadiers planned to attack from the first gravel sector for Egan Bernal on stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia.
Team principal Brailsford said the aggressive style of racing Ineos showed on the unpaved roads is part of the new philosophy for the team, as Bernal hoped to extend his lead in the maglia rosa battle
Speaking after the finish, Brailsford said: “[Bernal] is showing why everyone got so excited about him a couple of years ago.
“He had a little bit of a difficult time after that, but he’s come back and he’s shown when you’ve got that much class as a rider, you have your ups and downs, but you never lose it
“He’s worked really hard and sacrificed a lot over the last 12 months.
“He deserves this.”
But Brailsford said Bernal’s success in Italy, where he leads overall by 45 seconds over Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech), is built on the team’s willingness to race hard.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Ineos took on the race on the first gravel sector, splitting the peloton and distancing their nearest rival Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step).
Filippo Ganna pushed hard on the unpaved roads to try and increase the gap to their rivals, but the race came back together on the tarmac.
Then into the closing stages Bernal was able to follow an attack from Vlasov and then countered to extend his advantage even further.
Meanwhile Evenepoel struggled after a relentless day of racing and was dropped from the group of favourites, losing two minutes on GC by the finish.
Brailsford said: “The goal was Filippo goes into the first section first and just puts the hammer down. He did it beautifully. The rest of the guys built the performance on top of that step by step. Egan finished it off capably.
“We’ve changed our philosophy a little bit and rather than defensively we try to ride off the front. We’ve got the guys to do it and they’re up for it, they enjoy it, they enjoy bike racing.
“We give them a bit of freedom and a bit of opportunity and they’ve got the joy of racing.
“We’re being more aggressive and it’s enjoyable. We’re having fun. We’re racing much more openly now and we’re seeing the benefits from it.”
>>> Bernal tears up the GC, while Evenepoel dropped after brutal day - don't miss these moments
Despite their new approach, Ineos continue to dominate in stage races, having won the Giro’s opening TT with Filippo Ganna, while Bernal won his first Grand Tour stage and moved into the race lead last weekend.
Speaking after the finish of stage 11, Bernal said: “Today was a really hard day and with the gravel we expected some big gaps.
“There were a lot of GC riders that lost some time so I’m happy to arrive in the front and we need to stay focused in the next days.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
How to watch the Olympic cycling time trial at Paris 2024
Get all the information you need to watch the action of the men's and women's Olympic cycling time trial at Paris 2024
By Cat Glowinski Published
-
Ribble Cycles looking to capitalise on 'big summer of sport' with 30% off highly-rated models
Direct-to-consumer Ribble Cycles has always been rated highly among the Cycling Weekly tech team. This is our pick of the best Road, Gravel and E-bikes from their 'Summer Sale'
By Matt Ischt-Barnard Published
-
It's time to stop expecting so much of Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France
The British team are always under pressure to match their past best, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
How Tadej Pogačar created history and won the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double
A journey that was supposedly fraught with risk and uncertainty was anything but for Giro d'Italia and Tour de France victor Tadej Pogačar
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Tom Pidcock says Ineos Grenadiers will be 'better' at the Tour de France without Steve Cummings
Netflix series depicted tension between the DS and rider, dynamic sources told Cycling Weekly carries a degree of accuracy
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'dreaming' of taking yellow jersey on opening weekend of Tour de France
British rider hopes to play starring role in Italian Grand Départ
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I think I'll get the opportunity to go for a stage' - Geraint Thomas relishing support role at Tour de France
Former yellow jersey winner says this year's race "could be my last"
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Carlos Rodríguez to lead Ineos Grenadiers at Tour de France, supported by Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock
British squad will aim to "race aggressively and disrupt" at the French Grand Tour
By Adam Becket Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Tom Pidcock
According to the man himself, he's never had a hangover. It's alright for some.
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock adds extra mountain bike race to schedule, one week before Tour de France
Pidcock confirms he will race World Cup event in Crans Montana, Switzerland ahead of Olympic title defence
By Tom Thewlis Published