Video: Deadly Dumoulin cracks Quintana; Deignan shows form
At the end of a gripping Giro stage, we may have witnessed the arrival of a new Grand Tour hero in Tom Dumoulin.
Having scored a fantastic TT stage win already in this Giro d’Italia, Tom Dumoulin rode like a champion on the final climb of stage 14 today.
Ireland’s Philip Deignan (Team Sky) would also ride quite well. He finished in 30th place just 2:21 back.
And with one of his team leaders, Geraint Thomas, now out of the race he may have the form to take a result for himself in the difficult final week if he gets the chance.
Today the ascent of Oropa up to the summit finish was billed as one where Nairo Quintana (Movistar) could attack.
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The smart money was on him letting fly and pegging back some of the time he has lost already to the race leader.
However, nobody told Dumoulin and he would win the stage and take time from all his rivals.
It was a performance to match Bradley Wiggins in his pomp; Dumoulin tapping out his own climbing pace and then surging at the last.
Incredible win! What a performance from @tom_dumoulin as Nairo Quintana cracks! #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/9UHWmTIVYJ
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 20, 2017
With most of the last 25km uphill, it was not until the real climbing began with 4km remaining that the battle proper commenced.
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Quintana waited until there were just 3.4km remaining before he made his move. The diminutive Colombian pressed hard on the steepest part of the climb.
He immediately pulled clear and was joined only by Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin).
However, not for the first on this Grand Tour, Quintana went clear but did not look in the kind of form to blow the others off his wheel.
With the help of Zakarin, and as the chase group led by Dumoulin blew to pieces, they got no more than 15 seconds.
Quintana would then drop Zakarin, but all the while Dumoulin tapped out his own pace just behind.
And with 1.5km to go he caught Quintana, having dropped the likes of Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ).
Immediately Dumoulin caught Quintana he attacked him. And from that moment it was Dumoulin in the driving seat.
Save for one turn by Zakarin, the race leader towed the group all the way to the line.
Zakarin, Quintana, Mikel Landa (Team Sky) and Adam Yates (Orica-Scott) grovelled in the lead group as the pink jersey drove for home.
And when the leaders hit the final section of the climb, which was cobbled, Zakarin surged ahead.
But Dumoulin had ridden like a man possessed and he was in no mood to be beaten for the stage.
He powered past Zakarin in the last few hundred metres, with Landa and Quintana immediately distanced.
Riding flat out until he crossed the line, he took the stage by 3 seconds from Zakarin. Landa was 3rd at 9 seconds and Quintana would relinquish 14 seconds.
And with the 10-second time bonus on offer, Dumoulin upped his overall lead on Quintana from 2:23 this morning to 2:47 after a fantastic ride.
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