Giro d’Italia 2023: ‘It’s the other way!’ – Breakaway riders take wrong turn and lose lead on Stage 12

Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) and Marco Frigo (Israel-PremierTech) made an awkward gaffe on Stage 12 at the Giro d’Italia when they threw away their lead by going the wrong way.

After an almighty squabble to form the day’s breakaway on a rare day of sunshine, the Italian duo looked set to sail clear after opening up a 25-second gap on their pursuers. Then disaster struck.

After a descent, the course took a hairpin to the left at a roundabout, but Formolo and Frigo accidentally charged straight on. Although they quickly realised their mistake, and darted through a hastily-formed gap in the crowd to return to the intended route, their lead had all but vanished.

“All that work to get out there and they’ve gone the wrong way,” bemoaned Rob Hatch on Eurosport commentary.

“A few members of the public helping out and pointing them in the right direction!”

The consolation prize for Formolo and Frigo was a ticket to the day’s early 30-man breakaway – albeit 28 riders larger than they had originally hoped for.

The 2020 champion slid out on a corner along with Thomas and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and, unlike his GC rivals, was unable to continue.

Geoghegan Hart will require surgery after suffering a fractured hip in the crash on wet roads.

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