Hopefully Geraint has left something in the tank for today’s stage rather than burn all his matches on y’day’s sprint. Looked like a tremendous shift shared between the pair of them in the run up to the finish, both benefiting in the GC.
The GC guys will probably use today to recuperate and save it in preparation for the next two days of back to back mountain stages that will really test their metal, and not forgetting that tricky up hill time trial on Saturday.
Actually that 19km ITT looks like it could suit Geraint rather well
…but the GC guys will be going up that hill on very tired legs
Today’s course should become the fastest average speed day, probably not a good day to get a mechanical or puncture, another thing that could upset the game-plan is cross winds but haven’t heard that being an issue today.
Pascal Ackermann (Deu) UAE Team Emirates, all at same time
(no changes of any jersey wearers)
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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 17
Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, in 71-58-43
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 18s
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 29s
Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, at 2-50
Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AIUla, at 3-03
Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 3-20
Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 3-22
Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM, at 3-30
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-09
Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-32
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 17
Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, 215pts
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-PremierTech, 121pts
Pascal Ackermann (Deu) UAE Team Emirates, 95pts
Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla, 93pts
Tom Skuijns (Lat) Trek-Segafredo, at 79 pts
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The closest of shaves bunch sprint stage win for Alberto Dainese, second place Jonathan Milan narrowly missing out but has built up enough points almost definitely win the Points Classification in Roma.
A slight but significant change to the top Points Classification is Michael Matthews moving up to 4th place and to what looks like is becoming a three horse race for the 2nd and 3rd positions.
This stage is going to be quite difficult, and tomorrow even more so, and with this in mind it’s quite probably the GC guys will want to keep their powder dry for tomorrow and allow a non GC threat breakaway to go on ahead. But having said that, there could plausibly be a GC antagonist hatching out a devious attack plan in the effort of catching out the peloton decorum, and gaining a handful of useful minutes…
Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, in 76-25-51
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 29s
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 39s
Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AIUla, at 3-39
Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, at 3-51
Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 4-27
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) at 4-43
Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM, at 4-47
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-53
Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, at 5-52
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 18
Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, 215pts
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-PremierTech, 140pts
Pascal Ackermann (Deu) UAE Team Emirates, 95pts
Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla, 93pts
Tom Skuijns (Lat) Trek-Segafredo, at 79 pts
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 18
Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 227pts
Ben Healy (Ire) EF Education-EasyPost, 164pts
Davide Bais (Ita) Eolo-Kometa, 144pts
Einer Auguto Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar, 118pts
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, 66pts
YOUNG RIDER CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 17
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, in 71-59-01
Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM, at 3-12
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, at 3-51
TEAM CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 17
Bahrain-Victorious, in 215-27-26
Ineos Grenadiers, at 32-31
Jumbo-Visma, at 40-26
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Today’s stage winner Filippo Zana has been very active in this tour, involved in two previous long range breakaways, and scoring a 3rd place on stage 8. Today’s win marks his second grand tour stage win. Second place Thibaut Pinot can console himself with regaining the Maglia Azzurra along with a huge lead in the KOM.
The GC contest in this Giro has developed into a 3 man fight-out, and with just a couple of stages to go to decide the winner the suspense continues.
Will we get a decider day today, or will we have to wait for the ITT tomorrow (?)
Today’s GC results may depend upon who recovers the fullest from the efforts of yesterdays hard stage…
The KOM is not quite settled yet, even with his huge lead it’s probable that Pinot will be too tired to join the breakaway today, and besides, now he has also become a top ten GC contester he’s less likely to be allowed to join a breakaway group.
Meanwhile; Pinot’s two KOM rivals, Ben Healy, and Davide Bias had a far easier day yesterday, and today will probably be out in front to win all the KOM points they can grab - while Pinot grinds along wearing the Maglia Azzurra somewhere behind the peloton.
Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious, in 5-28-07
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, at 51s
Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-EasyPost, at 1-46
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at same time
Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-49
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 2-09
Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, all three at same time
Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 2-16
Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, at 2-26
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, in 81-55-47
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 26s
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at 59s
Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, at 4-11
Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Jayco-AIUla, at 4-53
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) at 5-10
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, at 5-13
Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 5-54
Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM, at 6-08
Laurens De Plus (Bel) Ineos Grenadiers, at 5-52
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious, 215pts
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-PremierTech, 160pts
Pascal Ackermann (Deu) UAE Team Emirates, 95pts
Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco AlUla, 93pts
Tom Skuijns (Lat) Trek-Segafredo, at 79 pts
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 228pts
Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech, 200pts
Ben Healy (Ire) EF Education-EasyPost, 164pts
Davide Bais (Ita) Eolo-Kometa, 144pts
Einer Auguto Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar, 118pts
YOUNG RIDER CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, in 81:56:46
Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-14
Andreas Leknessund (Nor) DSM, at 5-09
TEAM CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
Bahrain-Victorious, in 245:35:12
Ineos Grenadiers, at 19-59
Jumbo-Visma, at 33-47
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A hard hilly ride in some appalling weather, Roglič only gains 3 seconds on the Maglia Rosa, the decider will be fought out on the hilly time trial tomorrow. Geraint has a 26 second advantage.
The second Grand Tour stage win for Santiago Buitrago, and incredibly, for the forth time in this tour Derek Gee finishes a stage in 2nd place!
Derek Gee also catapults his standing in the Mountains Classification to 2nd position overtaking Ben Healy who failed to breakaway from the peloton today - wasn’t without trying though.
Apart from the usual suspects in the top GC,
the following national time trial champions will also compete for quick time:
Bob Jungels - Luxembourg Lennard Kämna - Germany Ben Healy - Ireland Bruno Armirail - France Derek Gee - Canada Bauke Mollema - Netherlands Toms Skujiņš - Latvia Jay Vine - Australia
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There is also a maximum of 50 points left to be scored by a single rider out of a total of 112 points in the King of the Mountains, so Ben Healy has a remaining chance to re-take the Maglia Azzurra from Thibaut Pinot (…bit of a long shot though!)