Giro d’Italia 2023: Brandon McNulty denies Ben Healy to win Stage 15, Bruno Armirail loses time but keeps pink

A barnstorming conclusion to Stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia saw Italy’s Marco Frigo (Israel-PremierTech) fight back for a second time in front of his home fans before being pegged back by Ireland’s Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and eventual stage winner, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).

Over a course that was dubbed a “mini Lombardia” thanks to a succession of spikey climbs in northern Italy, McNulty proved the strongest finisher of the leading trio to deny Healy a second stage win in his debut Giro and in doing so scoop his first-ever stage win in a Grand Tour.

Frigo’s third place marked the latest heartbreak for his Israel-PremierTech team after Derek Gee’s three runner-up spots, Sebastian Berwick’s third place and Simon Clarke’s flirtation with glory in Napoli.

McNulty, Healy and Frigo were part of a large 17-man group that powered to – at its most – an advantage of seven minutes over the peloton. The breakaway exploded on the fourth and final climb of Roncola Alta where, with 34km remaining, Healy first pegged back and then rode clear of McNulty and Frigo.

Healy looked set to push on to a second triumph in what is proving to be a stellar maiden Grand Tour for the 23-year-old. But he was caught by McNulty on the descent before Frigo rode back into contention under the 10km banner after a fantastic return from the brink.

Both McNulty and Frigo put in gutsy yet unsuccessful digs on the flat approach to Bergamo before Healy attacked on the short but sharp cobbled climb into the old town and castle quarter with 3km remaining.

Healy managed to ditch Frigo but McNulty held on and the two riders dropped down the other side towards the finish ahead of what everyone expected to be a two-horse race.

But a stirring comeback from Frigo – who closed a gap of 19 seconds to join level with his rivals on the home straight – made for a mouthwatering and tense conclusion. Healy latched onto the Italian’s back wheel but McNulty had the better of both his companions – a win that he later labelled as “indescribable”.

“It was my goal coming here but then I got sick in the [opening] time trial and I didn’t know what was going to happen. Then today came together and I’m so happy,” McNulty said.

“On the long climb, I tried to go there and I thought my race was done because Ben was so strong. But I clawed back and then we played games on the flat. But in the end, it came down to that last kick and then the sprint.

“I knew [Frigo] was coming and he ended up coming just at the right moment because I could swing over and catch the draft. I then just went for it.”

On what his win now means for the ambitions of his UAE Team Emirates squad, McNulty said: “We came here for GC but with also the hope of a stage win. Now it’s happened we can fully focus on Joao [Almeida].”

Portugal’s Almeida put in a series of digs on the final ascent into Bergamo as the pursuing pink jersey group fractured on what was an otherwise day of attrition for the race favourites.

Almeida led home a group that also included the likes of Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma), Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious).

Overnight race leader Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ) stayed in contact on the Roncola Alta climb but tailed off when sparks flew in Bergamo. The Frenchman, however, did enough to go into the second rest day with a 1:08 gap over Welshman Thomas, with Slovenia’s Roglic a further two seconds back and Almeida 1:30 down ahead of the decisive final week.

Epic blue jersey battle precedes captivating finale

It was Healy who, as expected over such lumpy terrain, set the tone with an early attack on the undulating roads outside Seregno. A winner in Stage 8, Healy was always going to be among the favourites on a mini Lombardia-style stage taking in four tough climbs in the same neck of the northern Italian woods as the fifth Monument of the season.

Healy joined forces with Italy’s Simone Velasco (Astana-Qazaqstan) before the duo sat up and waited for the chasers in the form of Davide Ballerini (Soudal Quick-Step), Andrea Pasqualon (Bahrain Victorious), Francois Bidard (Cofidis), Vincenzo Albanese and Francesco Gavazzi (Eolo-Kometa), Niccola Bonifazio and Laurens Huys (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty), Sebastian Berwick and Frigo (Israel-PremierTech), Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).

As the peloton eased up to allow a gap to grow, two riders zipped off in pursuit of the break – Stage 13 winner Einer Rubio (Movistar) and the Italian Martin Marcellusi (Green Project-Bardiani).

The pint-sized Colombian dropped Marcellusi on a small uncategorised climb ahead of the ascent of Valico di Valcava, at the foot of which he managed to infiltrate the move after team-mate Rojas dropped back to help pace him into the fold.

Amazingly, Marcellusi plugged away to make it 17 riders in the break with a six-minute gap over the peloton, which was being marshalled by the Groupama-FDJ team-mates of pink jersey Armirail.

Rubio’s presence in the move allowed for a great tussle between him and Healy for the KOM points – the two riders with previous stage wins in this year’s Giro putting on a show in their bid to write themselves into the blue jersey battle.

Healy came out on top on both the Valico di Valcava and subsequent Selvino climb – the former after the duo locked horns and almost came to blows while jostling for positions.

Winner on Friday at Crans Montana, Rubio turned the tables on the Miragolo San Salvatore climb when his superior lunge made the difference ahead of Healy. The Irishman then did the unexpected and attacked at the start of a flat section some 70km from the finish.

Healy’s audacious move came to nothing, but it ushered in a period of uncertainty within the breakaway as tensions rose ahead of the business end to the stage. It was Italy’s Bonifazio who made the first significant move, edging clear with 50km remaining after the riders had passed through the finish zone at Bergamo.

But the cream came to the top on the Roncola Alta climb, with its maximum gradient of 17% that proved too much for the likes of Bonifazio and the other heftier riders.

And yet, it took time for Healy to warm up to the challenge. Indeed, it was Frigo whose acceleration pegged back Bonifazio and coaxed a response from McNulty. As the pair rode clear, KOM rivals Healy and Rubio formed an alliance behind to ditch the likes of Mollema, Huys, Rojas and Bidard.

The effort expended by Rubio to bridge over to the breakaway, however, started to show – and Healy was forced to ditch the Colombian and grapple his way back on his own.

Healy and McNulty then traded blows before the Irishman went clear near the summit, which he crested in pole position to consolidate his fourth place in the KOM standings behind the blue jersey Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) and Rubio, who rose above Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and into second.

Healy’s gap was not as large as it may have been, however, and McNulty was able to battle back on the descent – along with Frigo, who closed a gap of 45 seconds with an almighty effort a little later on to set up the champagne finale.

“I had him for a bit,” Healy said, one week after his win in Fossombrone. “I made a bit of a mistake waiting for [Einer] Rubio. I thought he could help me get back so I had to make quite a big effort to get back to McNulty and Frigo. The legs were good on the steeper part but as soon as it levelled out I was struggling. McNulty slowly but surely crawled me back. Then I couldn’t drop him on the last uphill bit either. He was pretty strong today.”

After Monday’s second rest day, the Giro d’Italia continues with the 198km Stage 16 from Sabbio Chiese to Monte Bondone for a brutal summit finish after more than 5,000 metres of ascent.

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