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EFE · Road Competition · 10/21/2020
The Australian cyclist Ben O’Connor (NTT) has won the seventeenth stage of the 103rd edition of the Giro d’Italia, a 203-kilometer high mountain day held this Wednesday between the Italian towns of Bassano de Grappa and Madonna di Campiglio, in which the Portuguese Joao Almeida retained the pink jersey of leader of the general.
With a time of 5 hours, 50 minutes and 59 seconds, O’Connor, second in the previous day, prevailed in the arrival at Madonna di Campiglio, top-class finish, ahead of the Austrian Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain-McLaren ) and the Belgian Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), second and third respectively.
It was a passive stage for the greats of the general classification, in which, while waiting for this Thursday’s climb to Stelvio, Almeida kept the 17 seconds ahead of the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) and the 2 minutes and 58 seconds over the Australian Jai Hindley (Sunweb).
The riders met with the high mountains this Wednesday and opened a cycle of maximum demand in the Italian Alps that will take them to the final time trial in Milan, which will crown the winner of the Giro next Sunday.
There was a total of 4,000 meters of unevenness in a stage marked by the ascent to Forcella Valbona (1st Cat., 22 Km at 6.8%), followed by Monte Bondone (1st Cat., 20 Km with an average of 6, 8% and a maximum of 15%), by the Durone Pass (3rd Cat., 10 Km at 6%) and by Madonna di Campiglio (1st Cat., 12.5 Km at 6.5%).
It was precisely at the Forcella Valbona when a group of 19 runners attacked and took a margin that exceeded 8 minutes over the peloton, in which Almeida was still protected by his Deceuninck-Quick Step teammates.
The peloton returned to manage their energies and let the escape play the victory, with the greats more focused on controlling their direct rivals in the general classification. The result was a poor stage at the show level, but of maximum benefit for Almeida.
The Spanish Héctor Carretero (Movistar), the Russian Ilnur Zakarin (CCC), the Australians Rohan Dennis (Ineos) and Ben O´Connor (NTT), the Belgian Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto-Soudal), the Eritrean Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (NTT), the Belgian Thomas De Gendt and the Austrian Hermann Pernsteiner took the lead.
Of them, O’Connor was the one who attacked on the climb to Madonna di Campiglio, pursued by Pernsteiner and, meters further back, by De Gendt and Zakarin.
The Australian had a 30-second margin and sealed his fourth win of the season, the first of his career on a grand lap.
He entered first raising his arms to the sky, ahead of Pernsteiner and De Gendt, while Óscar Rodríguez (Astana) was the first Spanish rider, finishing eighth.
There was not much show among the greats, who limited themselves to controlling each other and ended up benefiting Almeida, who was still in pink for the fifteenth day in this Giro.
The Giro d’Italia will continue this Thursday with the dispute of its eighteenth stage, of 207 kilometers, starting in Pinzolo and finishing in Laghi di Cancano.
Classifications [Clasificaciones completas]
Stage classification:
1. Ben O’Connor (AUS / NTT) – 5:50:59
2. Hermann Pernsteiner (AUT / Bahrain-McLaren) at 0:31
3. Thomas de Gendt (BEL / Lotto-Soudal) at 1:10
4. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS / CCC) at 1:13
5. Kilian Frankiny (SUI / Groupama-FDJ) at 1:55 AM
6. Harm Vanhoucke (BEL / Lotto-Soudal) at 2:49
7. Davide Villella (ITA / MOVISTAR) at 3:29 am
8. ÓSCAR RODRÍGUEZ (ESP / Astana) at 3:29
9. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (ERI / NTT) at 3:30 pm
10. Jesper Hansen (DEN / Cofidis) at 4:32 am
General ranking:
1. João Almeida (POR / Deceuninck-Quick Step) – 71:41:18
2. Wilco Kelderman (NED / Sunweb) at 0:17
3. Jai Hindley (AUS / Sunweb) at 2:58
4. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR / Ineos) at 2:59
5. PELLO BILBAO (ESP / Bahrein-McLaren) at 3:12
6. Rafal Majka (POL / Bora-Hansgrohe) at 3:20
7. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA / Trek-Segafredo) at 3:31
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA / NTT) at 3:52
9. Patrick Konrad (AUT / Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4:11
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA / Deceuninck-Quick Step) at 4:26 am
Next stage, 18th: Pinzolo – Laghi di Cancano / 207 Km.
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