Giro 2017: Pinot wins thriller, Quintana still in pink

Stage 20 is the last mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia. The route takes in two demanding climbs, while the finish is at the end of a rolling section of 15 kilometres on a plateau. The race comes down to a thriller with Pinot winning the sprint of a group with Nibali and Quintana. Dumoulin finishes 15 seconds down on them. Quintana is still in pink. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 20th stage 2017 Giro d’Italia

1. Thibaut Pinot (fra)
2. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
3. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
4. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.
5. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
6. Bob Jungels (lux) + 0.15
7. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
8. Sébastien Reichenbach (swi) s.t.
9. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
10. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.

GC after 20th stage
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.39
3. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.43
4. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.53
5. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 1.15
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 1.30
7. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 3.03
8. Adam Yates (gbr) + 6.50
9. Bob Jungels (lux) + 7.18
10. Davide Formolo (ita) + 12.55

Race report
Following a fast start Teuns, Slagter, Ladagnous, Devenyns, Belkov and Pozzato jump clear. Pozzato is the first to crest the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio ahead of Slagter and Teuns. Simone Andreetta and Gregor Mühlberger try to bridge across, but to no avail. The six leaders race to maximum gain of 8 minutes.

On Monte Grappa Teuns and Devenyns prove to be the strongest climbers upfront, while Katusha is setting the pace in the maglia rosa group. When Zakarin goes on the attack, this whittles the group down with Mollema, Jungels and Yates dropping. For a moment Dumoulin is struggling, too, but they all work their way back into the main group well before the top of the climb.

Teuns and Devenyns crest with a 3 minutes lead over the peloton, which is still the advantage at the foot of the climb to Foza, where Teuns heads out on his own.

Nibali attacks some 9 kms before the top and he pushes on. Dumoulin is struggling again, but he doesn’t crack. Mollema, Yates and Jungels drop at first and then bounce back. A little later Zakarin and Pozzovivio jump clear and Nibali and Quintana try to bridge across. With a joint effort Pinot and Dumoulin keep them in their sights, the trio Mollema/Yates/Jungels on their wheel.

Zakarin and Pozzovivio catch race leader Teuns to leave him behind, while Pinot jumps to Nibali and Quintana. Dumoulin and Jungels close the gap, but some 2 kms before the top Nibali, Pinot en Quintana give it another go.

In Foza Pozzovivo and Zakarin are 14 seconds ahead of Nibali, Pinot and Quintana and 32 seconds ahead of the group Dumoulin/Jungels/Mollema/Yates.

With 10 kms to Pozzovivo, Zakarin, Nibali, Pinot and Quintana reunite. Dumoulin et al is 21 seconds in arrears, but with joined efforts the group reduces the gap to 8 seconds, only to see it widen to 20 seconds in the last kms.

Pinot outsprints Zakarin and Nibali in Asiago, while the chasing group finishes 15 seconds down on them. This leaves time trial specialist Dumoulin in an excellent place to win the 2017 Giro as he is only 53 seconds down on the maglia rosa. However, Nibali, Pinot and dark horse Zakarin all lie in ambush…

Read about the route of the 20th stage in the 2017 Giro d’Italia.