The Giro d’Italia 2019‘s first summit finish saw a supercharged breakaway, more action than a Marvel movie and some very significant moves. Finally, the race sprang to life on the road up to Lago Serru when Katusha’s Ilnur Zakarin powered to a mighty win. Behind him Simon Yates faded, Movistar played a blinder and the GC cream started to rise to the top. Jan Polanc stays in pink as the mountainous weekend beckons.
The final mountain stage in this Giro100 and it was not a disappointment. With Katusha busting the peloton apart on Monte Grappa, by the final climb even the strongest riders looked on their knees. With five of the top six GC putting time into Tom Dumoulin, Thibaut Pinot sprinted for the stage win and valuable bonus seconds to set up a final stage ITT with less than a minute between the top step and 4th. Nairo Quintana will be the last rider out of the start house tomorrow, in the pink skinsuit.
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“I knew the attacks would come” but Tom Dumoulin was ready. On a stage that Nairo Quintana was supposed to take precious seconds back from his Dutch rival, Dumoulin did more than just defend the maglia rosa. He went on the offensive and took a spectacular win on Oropa, extending his lead over all his rivals, including Quintana who is now 2.47 down.
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