Home > News

Nibali yanks Roglič closer on the Giro’s mini-Il Lombardia stage

A wrong size bike and a mild crash delays Roglič before the final rest day

May 26, 2019
Share on SMS

Sunday’s last Giro d’Italia stage before the final rest day was a thrilling one, with Vincenzo Nibali once more gaining back time on Primož Roglič along a mini-Il Lombardia course. The Shark of Messina pulled Roglič to within a minute on Stage 15, while pink jersey Richard Carapaz extended his lead over Roglič to 47 seconds. Dario Cataldo gave Astana its second stage victory of the 102nd edition, winning from a two-man breakaway.

The Course

Sunday’s route was a mini-Il Lombardia although it was a bit shorter at 232 km and skipped the early climbs. However, it still had the Ghisallo (8.3 km at 5.5 percent), the Colma di Sormano (9.6 km of 6.4 percent) and the Civiglio (4.1 km of 9.8 percent) in the final third. Civiglio peaked 10 km from the line in Como. Two-time winner of the Race of the Falling Leaves, Nibali liked his chances.



The Breakaway

It’s a bit unusual for such a small breakaway so late in a Grand Tour, but on Sunday only Dario Cataldo (Italy/Astana) and Mattia Cattaneo (Italy/Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) went out to fly their team flags. The intrepid duo pulled out a whopping 16:00 gap. By the time they tipped over the Ghisallo with 60 km remaining, they led by 7:30.

Sormano

Astana, Bahrain-Merida and Mitchelton-Scott had whipped up the pace on Ghisallo to pare down Roglič’s men to just Antwan Tolhoek. Simon Yates attacked with pink jersey Carapaz, Mikel Landa and Nibali going with him. Roglič was distanced because he wasn’t positioned well, but he latched onto the quartet. Yates’ second surge bought him some space.

It was all for naught, but just as the favourites group reached the Brit near the top of the ascent, Angel Lopez attacked over the top only to find the descent bringing him back.

Civiglio

The favourites took on water and food before the last climb. Up ahead, it looked like the day’s winner would be Italian, as the duo enjoyed a 4:15 gap with 23 km to go. Cataldo had a Vuelta a España stage on his palmares, and had come runner-up twice in the Giro. Cattaneo had placed 3rd, 4th and 5th on Giro stages in the past.

Roglič was without teammates heading to the Civiglio and had to ride Tolhoek’s bike after a mechanical.

Movistar drove to the foot of the climb. Thirteenth place Hugh Carthy (Great Britain/EF Education First) lit out on his own from the favourites group before Yates struck again on the steepest part of the ascent.

Nibali waited until the final kilometre to attack and the pink jersey grabbed his wheel. The duo grabbed Yates. With their rivals closing in, Nibali surged again, Carapaz covering and Yates falling back a bit.

The breakaway only held a minute cresting the Civiglio. Nibali, Carapaz and Carthy peaked 18 seconds ahead of Roglič, still on the wrong bike. More problems for the Slovenian came in the form of the mildest of crashes on the descent.

Nibali was flying and left his descent-mates for a few kilometres, but Carapaz, Carthy and Yates found him with 1.3 km to go.

In the sideshow, Cataldo finally got his stage win. Yates was third; he was the only rider in the top-10 to move up a place.

The peloton has certainly earned its second rest day on Monday. The third week of the 102nd edition, even with the Gavia removed from Tuesday’s queen stage, is brutal.

2019 Giro d’Italia Stage 15
1) Dario Cataldo (Italy/Astana)
2) Mattia Cattaneo (Italy/Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) s.t.
3) Simon Yates (Great Britain/Mitchelton-Scott) +0:11

2019 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Richard Carapaz (Ecuador/Movistar) 64:24:00
2) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) +0:47
3) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) +1:47
4) Rafal Majka (Poland/Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:35
5) Mikel Landa (Spain/Movistar) +3:15
6) Bauke Mollema (The Netherlands/Trek-Segafredo) +3:38
7) Jan Polanc (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +4:12
8) Simon Yates (Great Britain/Mitchelton-Scott) +5:24
9) Pavel Sivakov (Russia/Ineos) +5:48
10) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +5:55