Harrison happy with week one in the Giro d’Italia

Torbay’s young pro cyclist Harrison Wood has more than justified his selection for the Giro d’Italia during the first week of the gruelling classic race.

Wood (Team Cofidis), only the third Mid-Devon CC man to contest one of cycling’s ‘Grand Tours’, went into Monday’s first rest-day in 80th place overall in a field of more than 160 of the best riders in the world.

After Sunday’s Stage Nine, 23-year-old Wood said: “I took it easy today, as I was feeling a bit fatigued, but it’s all good.

“I’m going well, I feel as if I’m getting better and I’m looking forward to the second week.”

Wood is on a major learning curve at the top level of the sport, but he’s managed so far to combine his duties as a ‘domestique’ to his team’s senior riders with some impressive individual efforts.

Cofidis celebrated an important victory for Benjamin Thomas on Stage Five from Genoa to Lucca.

Wood appeared to be feeling the pace at that point, but he recovered to deliver a strong Time Trial the next day and then finished 29th on the hill-top finish at Prati Di Tivo on Saturday, confirming his climbing talent in both cases.

Of the uphill 37K TT, where leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) took control of the race, Wood said: “I didn’t want to go too deep too early, but I got quicker and quicker as it went on.”

He’s threatened several times to force his way into a breakaway, and he may look to do that on one of this week’s stages as the race heads up the Adriatic Coast.

The biggest tests of all will come when the Giro tackles its traditional final week over the daunting mountain passes of the Dolomites.

MDCC enjoyed a spirited foray into French club racing at the Grand Prix du Jumelage, run by their twin-club VC du Bocage, in Normandy.

James Pearcy finished fourth and Charlie Meredith eighth in the Grimpeur (climbing) category. Overall, Meredith was 39th, Ben Meek (Youth) 59th, Pearcy 67th and Nick Makin (Junior) 78th.