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A gorilla cycles into a press room… André Greipel (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lotto Soudal) may not be destined for the stand-up circuit when he decides to hang u🌺p his wheels, but the softly-spoken German has a neat sense for a deadpan line all the sa💖me.

After claiming his second stage win of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d’Italia with a furious168澳洲5最新开奖结果: sprint finish in Foligno, G🔴reipel arrived at the media centre๊ by bike, pedalling through the main doors and directly into the sports hall that housed the race’s press pack.

The win brought Greipel level with his countryman Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) on two victories apiece 🦄this week, though the latter’s puncture in the final kilometres meant that the expected all-German sprint battle didও not materialise.

No soo💝ner had Greipel taken his seat in the conference room than he was asked if he bel👍ieved he should lead the German team at October’s sprinter-friendly World Championships in Doha rather than Kittel or John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin).

“I know the World Ch�💞�ampionships are in October,” Greipel said and then added: “Now we have May.”

A mor⛎e convoluted approach to land🍎ing an answer to the same query followed. As Giro press officer Matt Rendell began to translate the question, Greipel smiled – “I understood that” – and assented to delivering a longer version of his default diplomatic response.

“I think I’ve proved in the past that I’m able to compete well over🐭 this distance, but it’s a decision for others to make. I&rsquo☂;ll just try to be in top condition and if it’s not me, I’ll be sad, but the national coach has to make the decision.”

More on this story:
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d’Italia stage 7 results
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro🐈 d’Ita☂lia stage 7: Finish line quotes
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d🦋’Italia stage 7 hig🌠hlights - video

A local writer attempting to compose a colour piece on Greipel struggled manfully to extract information from his subject, asking whether his children were following in his path as a cyclist. “They’re doing dancing,” Greipel said and then paused. “So they can for sure danc🌳e better than me.”

Another reporter made the cardinal error of♊ prefixing a question by addressing Greipel as “Marcel,” but Greipel took it in good spirits. “I’m not Marcel, thank you,” he said. The same reporter’s request for Greipel’s power output in the final sprint, where he surged clear of Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Sacha Modolo𝓀 (Lampre-Merida) was met with a similarly deadpan response. “I don’t like to talk about numbers,” he said. “I speak with the legs.”

Red jersey

Greipel spoke with his initial silence, perhaps, when asked if he was planning to stay on the Giro all the way through to Turin now that he has inherited tꩲhe red jersey of points leader from Kittel. Sprint opportunities are at a premium in weeks two and three of the Giro, and the German has abandoned the race on each of hi🐬s past two participations.

“We’re going to see day by day🍨 and I’ll speak with the sports director,” Greipel said of a putative points classification challenge. “I haven’t attempted any bonus sprints yet. We’ll have to see how we compete in the future.”

Greipel’s victory in Umbria was Lotto-Soudal’s third in as many days following his own win in Benevento and Tim Wellens’ subsequent triumph at Roccaraso. Regardless of how much further Greipel goes at this Giro, the Belgian squad&👍rsquo;s race will be marked as a success.

“Before today we were already satisfied with our Giro but now even more so. Taking three wins𓆏 out of seven stages is impressive for us,” he said. “We’re just enjoying the moment.”

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