Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia 2025: Astana rider Umba 2nd on opening stage
XDS Astana Development Team rider Santiago Umba came close to a victory on stage one of the Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia 2025. The winner was decided only by a photo finish, confirmed a few minutes after the finish line, the club’s press service reported.
The opening stage of the Italian race started in Palazzolo dello Stella and after 156 kilometers, concluded with a bunch sprint in Buttrio. Santiago Umba launched an impressive sprint from the group and placed himself at the front. In the end, he had to settle for the second place.
I’m really happy today, the first stage of this Giro already brought me a podium. It was raced full gas all day, but we always felt good and united. In the finale, I saw that the group was not very big, so I thought: let’s try the sprint. In the end, I took the second place. I’m satisfied with that, because I didn’t really expect it, but I know: I’m in good form now, and that gives me confidence. There’s still work to do, and I hope to perform well on the third stage, too, said Santiago Umba after the stage.
As reported previously, Kazakhstan's Zangar Nurlanuly reaches the junior US Open singles semis, sets a historic record.
