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100th Giro d’Italia Stage 19: Dumoulin stumbles on Piancavallo, Quintana in pink

Landa finally wins after two runner-up spots since Tuesday

Tom Dumoulin was not at his best on Friday’s mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia, but his rivals couldn’t land a decisive, knock-out blow. However, Colombia Nairo Quintana pulled on the pink jersey that he lost to Dumoulin after Stage 10. Mountains competition leader Mikel Landa (Spain/Sky), absolutely effervescent since he was taken out of GC consideration, took a deserving win from a large breakaway, his third career Giro stage triumph.


The riders had 191-km to ride containing three classified climbs, including a Cat. 3 rising immediately after the start and the Cat. 1 clamber to the finish town of Piancavallo. There was a long downhill section to the foot of Cat. 2 Sella Chianzutan.


The questions were: could Vincenzo Nibali and Quintana move Dumoulin on the summit finish? Would their singular attention distract from Thibaut Pinot, Ilnur Zakarin and Domenico Pozzovivo gaining more time on the podium holders? Could best young rider Adam Yates put more distance between himself and Bob Jungels before the time trial finale?

Five intrepid riders dashed away early, with Pello Bilbao (Spain/Astana) topping the Cat. 3 first at the 14-km mark. The quintet’s lead wasn’t large and the deck was reshuffled on the descent. Emerging from the dust was a larger breakaway, this one with the irrepressible Pierre Rolland.


On the long descent, Dumoulin was caught out, and Bahrain, Movistar and FDJ whipped along the peloton. Dumoulin was a maximum of one minute in arrears. Later, it was suggested that Nibali and Quintana had attacked Dumoulin on a nature break, but the Sunweb directeur sportif poo-pooed this.

For a while the action centred on Dumoulin getting back–with help from other distanced teams–which he did at around the 100-km mark. The break, which had seen its gap shrink considerably, saw it go out again. Only six riders were left out front, Sebastian Henao (Colombia/Sky), having been first at the top of Sella Chianzutan.

With 55-km to go, the big breakaway reformed. Nibali, Quintana and Pinot all had teammates in the escape, now 6:20 up the road from the favourites group. Soon it was apparent that the winner of Stage 19 would come from the 18-strong break.

At 15.45-km of 7.3%, the final haul up Piancavallo had its toughest slopes just before the middle. The top flattened considerably.


Astana’s LL Sanchez and FDJ’s Rudy Molard bolted on the other fugitives at the foot of the climb. Tension in the peloton caused a Trek rider to throw a bottle at a Movistar man.

Dumoulin was distanced almost immediately. Up ahead, Rui Costa nabbed Sanchez and then ripped by him. Dumoulin made it back to the back of the favourites group as Movistar drove on. Mountains leader Landa, desperate to win a stage after two runner-up spots, reached Costa and went by him. Dumoulin was detached once more with 10-km to go.


Nibali, Quintana, Pinot and Bauke Mollema began to pull away from the pink jersey. At the pointy end of the race, Landa was way ahead of Costa. Dumoulin was hanging in there, not losing heaps of time. Rolland linked up with Costa, but the duo was 1:00 behind Landa.

Finally, it was Pinot that lit things up.


This sparked digs from Nibali, marked by Quintana, and Zakarin. For a moment Quintana couldn’t respond to the Russian’s push. Everyone was toasted.

Landa raised his hands in relief and triumph well ahead of Costa and Rolland. He’s got the KOM in the bag. Pinot, Zakarin and Pozzovivo gapped Nibali and Quintana.

Dumoulin finished 1:09 behind Quintana and 1:07 back of Nibali, who is now five-seconds back of the Dutchman. Dumoulin is only 38-seconds behind Quintana. The Colombian will have to pad his lead Saturday before Sunday’s final day chrono.

Pinot sits ten-seconds back of the Nibali in GC. Pozzovivo reinforced his sixth spot from Mollema. Steven Kruijswijk is lucky to keep his 10th spot from Cannondale’s Davide Formolo.

Michael Woods finished 123rd in a large gang 28:11 in arrears of Landa.

Saturday is the final day in the mountains. There are two Cat. 1’s, the last peaking 15-km from the line in Asiago.

2017 Giro d’Italia Stage 19
1) Mikel Landa (Spain/Sky) 4:53:00
2) Rui Costa (Portugal/UAE-Emirates) +1:49
3) Pierre Rolland (France/Cannondale) +1:54
123) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale) +28:11

2017 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) 85:02:40
2) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +0:38
3) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) +0:43