The great versatility of the peloton has taken on yet another string. Already an economics major, sports science student, pianist, climber, and amateur meteorologist, Domenico Pozzovivo took on the big role of lead-out man in the breathless finale of stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia, the Jessi.

After guiding Intermarche Wanti-Gobert Materio teammate Biniam Girmay up the tough final climb of the finale, Monsano, Pozzovivo leaped out to provide a towering lead-out for the Eritreans at the Viale della Vittoria line jumped out to provide a

Gil May, who had finished second in Visegrad on day one, won a rematch here with Mathieu Van der Pol (Alpecin Phoenix) to become the first black African to win a Grand Tour stage. Pozzovivo finished 18th, happy to have played an unexpected role in this historic afternoon.

Girmay was later taken to the hospital with an eye injury during the podium ceremony, but the Intermarche celebrations were unrestrained immediately after the stage. Pozzovivo asked Gilmey as he made his way to the podium, surrounded by a horde of television crews, "Is that the first time you've done a sprint like that?

"Never," Pozzovivo smiled. 'But it was a finale where the road was a bit of a climb, and the speed wasn't too high, so I think we did well.' And Vinium has great legs. ......"

When the Giro left Pescara on Tuesday morning, a showdown between Gilmey and van der Pol seemed the most likely scenario, and it did indeed happen in Jessi.

Although most of the fast men survived the final uphill section of the Colle degli Infinito in Recanati, which Giacomo Leopardi wrote a poem about, the Alpecin Phoenix replaced Van der Pol to push the pace, and with 8.5 km to go, Monsano By the final uphill section, their numbers had dwindled to nothing at all.

"During the stage I talked to him, tried to calm him down, and told him to follow me on the climb in the finale," Pozzovivo said.

"With a star like Vignam, it's only natural that the whole team would work for him.

Gilmey almost made a corner error on the run-in, causing a moment of panic, but he still had three Intermarque teammates in the 30-person group that contested the finish. It was unfortunate that Pozzovivo took the lead-out role, but he did his job well.

"At one point I realized I was in front," he said. I'm very happy."

At the start in Pescara, Pozzovivo did not expect such drama. Instead, he was alert for the finale in Jesi, as Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Cazacustan) attacked on the descent from Monsano.

Pozzovivo, who is not only the lead out man but is of course chasing a top overall finish in this Giro, underscored his form by joining a six-man lead group in the blockhouse on Sunday. He is in eighth place overall, 54 seconds behind Maglia Rosa's Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo), and would have been even closer had he not lost contact with the leading group on the summit of Etna on stage 4 due to wind.

Pozzovivo was nearly forced to retire last winter when the Cubeca-Next Hash team disbanded, but he qualified for the Intermarché in February. On Sunday, when the pink jersey group split up in the blockhouse, 39-year-old Pozzovivo was part of the strongest group.

"I have to say that I expected that kind of level on the climb, and I usually like to race in hot weather, so the day itself suited me," Pozzovivo told Cycling News. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it," Pozzovivo told Cyclingnews. But some days I suffer from back pain, but that was the only thing I was worried about."

While riders like Simon Yates and Giulio Ciccone were eliminated from overall contention in the blockhouse, there was an unusual balance among the riders in front. Richard Calapaz, Romain Bardet, and Mikel Landa briefly took the lead, but were joined at the summit by Jai Hindley, Joan Almeida, and the evergreen Calapaz.

"I have rarely seen such a hard stage with so many riders at and near the same level at the finish," Pozzovivo said.

"It's going to be a very open Giro because there are so many riders here who are at the same level, so it's going to be a very open Giro.