Giro dItalia 2016 Stage 18: Victory Matteo Trentin, Kruijswijk in control

Giro d’Italia 2016 Stage 18: Victory Matteo Trentin, Kruijswijk in control

At 240 kilometres, stage 18 is the longest in the 2016 Giro d'Italia. In the finale it looks like Brambilla and Moser are the strongest riders, but while they race to the line as a duo Matteo Trentin pops at the eleventh hour to sprint to victory. Kruijswijk controls the race like a winner and he is still in the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage Giro d’Italia

1. Matteo Trentin (ita)
2. Moreno Moser (ita) s.t.
3. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) s.t.
4. Sacha Modolo (ita) + 0.20
5. Nikias Arndt (ger) + 0.30
6. Ivan Rovny (rus) + 0.34
7. Matteo Busato (ita) + 1.10
8. Christian Knees (ger) + 1.16
9. Axel Domont (fra) + 1.24
10. Davide Malacarne (ita) + 4.28

24. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 13.24
25. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) s.t.
26. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
27. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
28. Esteban Chaves (col) s.t.
29. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
30. Bob Jungels (lux) s.t.
31. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.
32. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
34. Andrey Amador (crc) s.t.

GC after 18th stage
1. Steven Kruijswijk (nld)
2. Esteban Chaves (col) + 3.00
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.23
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 4.43
5. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 4.50
6. Rafal Majka (pol) + 5.34
7. Bob Jungels (lux) + 7.57
8. Andrey Amador (crc) + 8.53
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 10.05
10. Kanstantsin Siutsou (blr) + 11.15

11. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 13.53
12. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 16.08

Race report
Shortly after the start in Muggiò a group of 24 riders gets clear. Oss, Ligthart, Timmer, Brambilla, Trentin, Kluge, Malacarne, Arndt, Küng, Moser, Navardauskas, Le Gac, Knees, Modolo, Mohoric, Domont, Solomennikov, Yamamoto, Zilioli, Brutt, McCarthy, Rovny, Amezqueta and Busato race to a gap of 12 minutes.

On the flat to the Pramartino climb Brutt jumps clear from the front. He reaches the foot of the cobbled climb in the arrival town, that will be in the finale also, with a 14 seconds lead over the chasing group, while the pack is 14 minutes down. At the top Brambilla, Rovny, Moser, McCarthy, Modolo, Timmer and Trentin join the leader.

While climbing the Pramartino Brambilla and Moser are the sole leaders. The two are the first to crest, 30 seconds ahead of Arndt and Rovny, who are accompanied by Modolo and Trentin on the flat.

Brambilla stays in the wheel of Moser because he knows his team mate Trentin is coming, something Moser obviously doesn’t know. With 200 metres left Trentin comes powering along to sprint to victory.