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João Almeida pads pink jersey lead in Giro d’Italia’s long time trial

Ganna again with the chrono triumph

Photo by: Sirotti
October 17, 2020
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Over the past week at the Giro d’Italy João Almeida has shown that he’s not another pink jersey place holder, increasing his lead on Stages 9 and 13, but on Saturday’s long time trial, he asked the question whether he could actually wear pink in Milan in a week’s time. Almeida placed sixth to buffering his gap over second place Wilco Kelderman by 16-seconds. Filippo Ganna won his third–and Ineos’ fourth–stage of the 103rd edition.

With chrono wins in Tirreno-Adriatico, the World Championship and the Giro, Ganna underscores his status as the apex time trialist.

You can find out where to watch the Giro here.

The Course

There were a couple of hills in the 34.1 km route from Conegliano to Valdobbiadene. Time checks were at the 7.4, 17.1 and 25.1 km marks.

Here was the GC overnight.

1) João Almeida (Portugal/Deceuninck-Quick Step) 49:29:46
2) Wilco Kelderman (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +0:40
3) Pello Bilbao (Spain/Bahrain-McLaren) +0:49
4) Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy/NTT) +1:03
5) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) +1:07
6) Patrick Konrad (Austria/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1:17
7) Jai Hindley (Australia/Sunweb) +1:25
8) Rafal Majka (Poland/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1:27
9) Fausto Masnada (Italy/Deceuninck-Quick Step) +1:42
10) Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark/Astana) +2:26

Victor Campenaerts (NTT Pro Cycling) was an early hot seat holder with a time of 44:46.23 (45.704 km/h).

But Campenaerts would soon be moved after another commanding performance from Ganna, who set the best split times at all three intermediate checks and the stopped the clock with 42:40.47.

Once the top GC men got underway, it was clear that Nibali didn’t have a fast start. Kelderman, on the other hand, had the seventh best time at the 7.4 km and 17.1 km checks. Almeida stormed to the fourth fastest time at the first check, and bumped Kelderman’s seventh best time at the second check.

Majka came good with 45:17, Fuglsang managed 45:53, while Nibali came in at 45:34. Once more, Fuglsang fell out of the top-10.

Now Kelderman is the only rider within 2:00 of Almeida, 56-seconds back. Nibali, Pozzovivo and Majka are all lumped around 2:30 in arrears and will have to start chipping away at their deficits starting in Sunday’s mountain top finish. UAE-Emirates’ young American Brandon McNulty, up to fourth, needs to be distanced too. The Giro ends in Milan on October 25 with yet another time trial.

2020 Giro d’Italia Stage 14
1) Filippo Ganna (Italy/Ineos Grenadiers) 42:40
2) Rohan Dennis (Australia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:26
3) Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE-Emirates) +1:07

2020 Giro d’Italia GC
1) João Almeida (Portugal/Deceuninck-Quick Step) 49:29:46
2) Wilco Kelderman (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +0:56
3) Pello Bilbao (Spain/Bahrain-McLaren) +2:11
4) Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE-Emirates) +2:23
5) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) +2:30
6) Rafal Majka (Poland/Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:33
7) Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy/NTT) s.t.
8) Fausto Masnada (Italy/Deceuninck-Quick Step) +3:11
9) Patrick Konrad (Austria/Bora-Hansgrohe) +3:17
10) Jai Hindley (Australia/Sunweb) +3:33