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EFE · Road Competition · 10/22/2020
Australian cyclist Jai Hindley (Sunweb) achieved victory in the eighteenth stage of the 103rd edition of the Giro d’Italia, which is 207 kilometers long and with the port of Stelvio as the protagonist, in which the Portuguese Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick Step) sank and gave the lead to the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb).
The Stelvio, the `Tourmalet of the Giro for its history and legend, was presented as the main battle point to try to give a rudder to the Italian round and its toughness wreaked havoc on a stage that turned the overall standings upside down.
It started with good rhythm, with the Portuguese Rubn Guerreiro and the Australian Ben OConnor as the main animators in search of a break that served to make a first selection of 45 riders.
The continuous attempts to attack in that group later crystallized in another more selective escape, of ten runners, in which the Spaniard Dani Navarro slipped, who managed to take out the peloton for a minute with his companions on the set.
For the ascent of Passo Castrin, first category port, another five runners joined that group, including Sergio Samitier and Antonio Pedrero, although it was the Belgian De Gendt who took the forty points for the general of the mountain .
After reducing the difference in the descent a little, the fifteen escapees extended their advantage to four minutes with splendid group work without any of their members looking for new attacks.
In unison and with a uniform rhythm, the fifteen fugitives began their climb to the Stelvio. Ahead, 24.8 kilometers of ascent at 7.5% of average slope crowned at 2,758 meters by roads surrounded by snow.
Movistar shook up the race with three riders (Samitier, Cataldo and Pedrero) pulling the group on the climb, although the Italian gave up early.
OConnor, the winner of the previous day at Madonna di Campiglio, came out with force from the leading group, who managed to put a minute on the Stelvio ramps to the pursuers, who more and more were once the escapees were neutralized.
OConnor’s forces to go solo ran out with 45 kilometers to go. It was then that the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) saw the opportunity to measure his real options of trying to assault the leadership and pulled forward taking advantage of the suffering of Joao Almeida, although shortly after he realized that the Australian Jai Hindley and the British Tao Geogheghan also wanted their share of glory.
Stelvio was crowned by Hindley (Sunweb) and Geogheghan (Ineos Grenadier) with 50 seconds ahead of Kelderman and 3:37 over Almeida, who began to feel the weight of losing the pink jersey.
In the final ten kilometers, Hindley and Geogheghan led the way, with the invaluable support of their compatriot Rohan Dennis until his strength failed him. From behind, the Spanish Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) shot with pride to try to reach the escapees, although it was impossible.
Hindley beat Geogheghan on a sprint, who climbed to the third box of the podium, and was only 12 seconds behind the pink jersey worn by Kelderman, his teammate. Pello Bilbao is fourth at 1 minute and 19 seconds, just one place above Joao Almeida, who collapsed on the stage and entered the finish line, head down, at 4 minutes and 51 seconds.
The Giro d’Italia will continue this Friday with the dispute of its nineteenth stage, of 251 kilometers and completely flat profile, starting in Morbegno and arriving in Asti.
Classifications [Clasificaciones completas]
Stage classification:
1. Jai Hindley (AUS / Sunweb) – 6:03:03
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR / Ineos) – mt
3. PELLO BILBAO (ESP / Bahrein-McLaren) at 0:46
4. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN / Astana) at 1:25
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED / Sunweb) at 2:18
6. Patrick Konrad (AUT / Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4:04
7. Joo Almeida (POR / Deceuninck-Quick Step) at 4:51 am
8. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA / Trek-Segafredo) at 4:51
9. Hermann Pernsteiner (AUT / Bahrain-McLaren) at 4:51
10. Mascara (ITA / Deceuninck-Quick Step) at 4:55
General classification:
1. Wilco Kelderman (NED / Sunweb) – 77:46:56
2. Jai Hindley (AUS / Sunweb) at 0:12
3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR / Ineos) at 0:15
4. PELLO BILBAO (ESP / Bahrain-McLaren) at 1:19
5. Joo Almeida (POR / Deceuninck-Quick Step) at 2:16
6. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN / Astana) at 3:59 am
7. Patrick Konrad (AUT / Bora-Hansgrohe) at 5:40 am
8. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA / Trek-Segafredo) at 5:47
9. Mask (ITA / Deceuninck-Quick Step) at 6:46
10. Hermann Pernsteiner (AUT / Bahrain-McLaren) at 7:23
Next stage, 19: Morbegno – Asti / 251 Km.
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