Home > News

100th Giro d’Italia Stage 18: Van Garderen becomes first American stage winner since 2012

Stalemate among Dumoulin, Quintana and Nibali

May 25, 2017
Share on SMS

Tejay Van Garderen took a famous victory on Thursday, becoming the first American since Taylor Phinney in 2012 to win a stage of the Giro d’Italia. Once more Nairo Quintana disappointed on the slopes that are usually his territory. Neither the Colombian nor Vincenzo Nibali were able to make up any time on Tom Dumoulin, but almost all of the rest of the top-10 drew closer on time to the leading trio.
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/867759980170158080
The race organizers packed five Dolomite climbs into 137-km with two Cat. 1’s bookending the whole affair. The sort-of summit finish of Ortisei/St. Urlich came soon after the 9.3-km, 6.8% Cat. 1 clamber to Pontives, with the last 3-km of the climb the most difficult. Past Pontives, the road gently rose for 3.5-km and then descended to the line.


At first it was only four riders who scampered away before the first climb of the day, Cat. 1 Passo Pordoi. A large chase formed as the pace was kept high. Diego Rosa (Italy/Sky) crested first. On the descent the two groups came together to form a mob containing KOM leader Mikel Landa (Spain/Sky) and Wednesday’s winner Pierre Rolland.


On Cat. 2 Passo Valparola, Adam Yates began to up the pace in the pink jersey group. Dumoulin was down to one teammate already. Omar Fraile, third in the KOM competition, attacked from the breakaway to take the maximum points, with Landa second. Just before Climb 3, the gap was 1:48.


Joe Dombrowski (USA/Cannondale) streamlined the escape group on Cat. 2 Passo Gardena. Behind, Dumoulin lost his sole teammate and Bob Jungels dropped away, as the favourites group was down to about 15. Quintana attacked with 54-km to go and immediately got a gap. Vincenzo Nibali came across to him. Quintana had teammates up ahead from the breakaway that worked for him.

Dumoulin came back before the crest but the breakaway riders were now within hailing distance. Yates scooted ahead with teammate Ruben Plaza on the descent, and Quintana found their wheels. Once more, it came back together.

Cat. 3 Passo di Pinei Panidersattel might not seem daunting because of its rating, but it had a maximum of 12.5%. The break was down to Landa, now far ahead in the KOM competition, Van Garderen, Dombrowski and the very impressive Jan Hirt (Czech Republic/CCC), sure to be snatched up by a WorldTour team for next season.

On the descent of the Cat. 3, Dombrowski’s Italian teammate Davide Villela and Eritrean Natnael Berhane of Dimension Data reached the quartet to become a six-pack. The favourites were less than a minute behind.

So it would all come down to the final climb of the day, Cat. 1 Pontives. Landa and Van Garderen distanced the others. Movistar drove the favourites group, momentarily putting Thibaut Pinot and Bauke Mollema in a spot of bother.

Finally Quintana attacked with 6.5-km to go. Meanwhile, Van Garderen shed Landa. When Quintana was brought back it was Dumoulin who took a swing. Once he settled down, Thibaut and Domenico Pozzovivo tried their luck. Dumoulin, Nibali and Quintana chatted as Zakarin lit out after Thibaut and Pozzovivo.


Van Garderen hung onto his lead to take his first Grand Tour victory. Landa was runner-up for the second time in three days. Thibaut and Pozzovivo finished eight-seconds behind, Zakarin 24-seconds in arrears and Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk 34-seconds back. Dumoulin, Quintana and Nibali crossed the line 1:06 after Van Garderen. Yates takes over the white young rider’s jersey from Jungels.

Michael Woods finished in a large grupetto 32:57 back. He dropped to 39th in the GC.

Friday is another summit finish, a long Cat. 1 called Piancavallo.

2017 Giro d’Italia Stage 18
1) Tejay van Garderen (USA/BMC) 3:54:04
2) Mikel Landa (Spain/Sky) s.t.
3) Thibaut Pinot (France/FDJ) +0:08
77) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale) +32:57
142) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-Scott) +35:55

2017 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) 80:00:48
2) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +0:31
3) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) +1:12
39) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale) +1:27:49
146) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-Scott) +3:48:59

Categories: News |