Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) is back in the maglia rosa at the Giro d'Italia after an epic stage 14 into Turin, won by Simon Yates of BikeExchange-Jayco.
However, while Carapaz is on top of the general classification with a week to go at the Italian Grand Tour, he went for broke with 28km to go today with a big solo attack which did not quite work out. The Ecuadorian was also isolated in the front group, with no team mates, a very long way from the finish.
Bora-hansgrohe were the team of the day; the German squad getting on the front midway through the stage and blowing the field to pieces. That move eventually resulted in a 12-man select group riding clear of everyone else and it was from that group that Carapaz made his move with 28km to go.
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Jumping from midway down the group, he very quickly opened a gap of almost 30 seconds on the Superga climb; some 5.1km at 8.2 per cent average gradient. It briefly looked the Olympic champion, and Giro 2019 winner, was riding to the race leader's jersey, a stage win and big time gains.
However, in the group behind there was a marked absence of panic when Carapaz went. At the same time, the lone leader's assured and strong riding when he initially attacked soon gave way to repeated nervous glances behind. It gave the impression Carapaz was regretting attacking on such a hot day with so far to go, including another climb.
In the end that calm approach among the strongest men chasing Carapaz was well-founded. The strongest of them easily caught Carapaz on the final climb of the day; the 3.6km Colle della Maddalena. It averaged 7.3 per cent gradient and was crested just 16km from the finish.
Yates got up to Carapaz on that final climb as did Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe) and a resurgent Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) as the 12-man select group finally blew to pieces, with race leader Juan Pedro López (Trek-Segafredo) one of those unceremoniously spat out the back.
Up front, the battle for the stage honours and time gains was among the final four; Yates attacking to win by 15 seconds from the chasing trio. Hindley won the sprint for 2nd place from Carapaz and Nibali.
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They were followed by the rest of the select group that formed under the pressure put on by Bora-hansgrohe earlier on the stage. Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) was 5th at 28 seconds, João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) placed 6th at 39 seconds and Mikel Landa and Pello Bilbao, both Bahrain-Victorious, were 7th and 8th at 51 seconds.
Then came Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe), in 9th at 1:10, before the really big gaps opened. Race leader today, Lopez, was 10th at 4:10, with Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) 11th at 6:28. Then came a small chasing group - the first of those not in the initial select group - led home by Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) at 8:04.
Carapaz - who looked strong today but far from unbeatable - now leads overall by 7 seconds from Hindley, who looks like a much strong rider now than two years ago when he placed 2nd overall. Almeida is now 3rd at 30 seconds and Landa is 4th at 59 seconds.
While Carapaz is on top and may stay there until next Sunday, Hindley and Bora-hansgrohe looked very menacing today. If the Australian, and Blockhaus stage winner, can hold his form in the final week of this race, he has a fantastic chance of overall victory.
There remains a very hard week to come but on the basis of today's evidence it seems the battle for overall victory is between Carapaz and Hindley. Almeida and Landa are still very much in the fight, but their final week may settle into a bid to take the final place on the podium.
Nibali has climbed five places to 8th overall and is 2:58 off new race leader Carapaz. Now aged 37 years and in his last season on the road, the four-time Grand Tour winner may fade in the final week or he could pull off the biggest surprise of all.
