Tour Down Under #5: Giacomo Nizzolo Sprints To Victory!
Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT Pro Cycling) sprinted to the stage 5 victory at the Santos Tour Down Under, beating Simone Consonni (Cofidis) and Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quickstep), to take top honours.
The 149km Stage 5 of the Santos Tour Down proved to be one of the most thrilling of the week-long UCI World Tour race so far. Mitchelton-Scott took advantage of a sharp climb with 20km to go and split the peloton in the hope of delivering defending champion, Daryl Impey, to the line.
NTT Pro Cycling's Giacomo Nizzolo had just missed the front group, but as had been strategized before the stage, the Italian's teammates rallied around him to bring him to back to the reduced group.
With Nizzolo now back into contention, the NTT Pro Cycling team worked on the front of the group to neutralize the remaining leading break that included the likes of Impey and race leader, Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo).
With a front group of only 60-odd riders charging to line in Victor Harbor, NTT Pro Cycling had strong representation with 6 riders in front and were able to take charge of the sprint finish in the final 5km.
Nizzolo finished off an excellent leadout from his team, sprinting to an emphatic victory. A first for the team this season and in the new colours of NTT.
Giacomo Nizzolo – Rider
“I can’t thank the team enough because today they did a great, great job. It was the plan, if I was a bit dropped, they had to wait for me on the climb and they did it perfectly. Then they also did a perfect leadout, I was perfectly placed in the final and then I just had to put everything I had left into the pedals and it worked out in the end. I am so happy, this is a good feeling to get the win in our new team colours.”
Image: Getty Sport
About NTT Pro Cycling
Founded in 2007, NTT Pro Cycling (formerly Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a WorldTour license, in 2016. With the support of our headline sponsor and technology innovation partner, NTT, we are the most purpose-driven, performance-led, and technology-enabled team in pro cycling today.
Our ambition is to continue to race at the highest levels in world cycling, to develop riders to realise their full potential and to inspire and motivate people across the African continent to ride bicycles.
We have bases in South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy.
We also ride to raise awareness for Qhubeka, a global charity operating in South Africa, through our #BicyclesChangeLives campaign.
The hands on the back of the team race jersey are a reminder that every Qhubeka bicycle is a helping hand up to a beneficiary, which are provided through Qhubeka's learn-to-earn and work-to-earn programmes
About Qhubeka
Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go.
About NTT Ltd.
NTT Ltd. is a global technology services company bringing together the expertise of leaders in the field, including NTT Communications, Dimension Data and NTT Security. We partner with organizations around the world to shape and achieve outcomes through intelligent technology solutions. For us, intelligent means data driven, connected, digital and secure. As a global ICT provider, we employ more than 40,000 people in a diverse and dynamic workplace and deliver services in over 200 countries and regions. Together we enable the connected future.
Visit us at our new website hello.global.ntt
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