Deignan on attack, Dumoulin on Giro ropes, Nibali on top

Deignan on attack, Dumoulin on Giro ropes, Nibali on top

Ireland’s Philip Deignan during his terrific breakaway ride on the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia.

 

After a terrific race thus far, the recommencement of hostilities following the Giro d’Italia rest day brought another feast of action.

Race leader Tom Dumoulin is still in the maglia rosa after Tuesday’s queen stage, but only just.

Twice the outright winner of the race, Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida) captured the stage from a resurgent Mikel Landa (Team Sky).

And sandwiched between those big names in the finishing order came Nairo Quintana; the much-fancied Movistar man playing a support role on a day that looked made for him.

However, racing action aside, it was Dumoulin’s emergency natural break that was one of the main talking points of the day.

The Dutch Team Sunweb rider was forced to pulled into the side of the road, undress and let nature takes its course.

And with the racing on he lost time as the others he had been with pressed forward.

While that was interpreted by many as disrespect for the race leader, who never caught the main favourites he had been with at the time, the main players did not agree.

Nibali said he never expected anyone to wait for him when he stopped in a race. And Dumoulin also said he did not expect the Italian, Quintana and the others to back off for him.

Dumoulin’s unfortunate need to stop before the Umbrailpass saw him forced into a long chase for what remained of the stage; over 30km.

And though he fought bravely, he would relinquish 2:17 to Nibali. And he now leads Quintana by just 31 seconds.

 

 

Ireland’s Philip Deignan was one of four Team Sky men to make it into the early breakaway and he would claim the first sprint of the day.

However, by the time the race reached the foot of the Umbrailpass and Dumoulin was forced to stop, it was Landa who led on the climb solo.

After appearing to pause a little for the race leader, the group of favourites quickly pushed on with Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) the first to have a go.

However, it was Nibali who put in the key moved around 1km from the summit. He would be tracked by Quintana, though the Italian would drop him on the descent.

Nibali would then catch Landa and remain with him on the run in to the finish, taking him in the two-up gallop that decided the stage.

Quintana was 3rd at 12 seconds followed 12 seconds later by Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale).

Zakarin would take 5th some 34 seconds down on Nibali. And Dumoulin, looking very dejected, would finish in 13th, some 2:18 down on the stage winner.

The Dutchman still leads of course, but having enjoyed a lead of 2:41 on Quintana this morning, that is now back to just 31 seconds.

And Nibali finds himself 3rd, just 1:12 down rather than the 3:40 he had trailed at the start of the stage.

Deignan would finish in 57th, some 30:07 down, having sat up with 40km of the 222km stage remaining.

However, he rode very strongly, driving the breakaway for Landa and looking among the very strongest of the escapees before he ran out of gas.

The Irish rider is showing no signs of slowing down and, indeed, went as well as he has for a long time.

Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) came home in 100th place of the 169 finishers.

He was 47:08 in arrears; a decent ride for a sprinter on the queen stage of a Grand Tour that included the Stelvio among three cat 1 ascents.

 

Stage 16: Rovett – Bormio (222km)

1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 6:24:22
2 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:12
4 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:24
5 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:34
6 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:26
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:35
8 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors
9 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ
11 Jan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
12 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
13 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:02:18
14 Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:05:10
15 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:05:17

 

General Classification

1 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb 70:14:48
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:31
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:12
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ 0:02:38
5 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:02:40
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:05
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:49
8 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors 0:04:35
9 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:06:20
10 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:07:00
11 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 0:07:17
12 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:11:29
13 Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:12:13
14 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:13:26
15 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:14:46