Giro 2018 Stage 15: Yates takes third win in Sappada to extend GC-lead

Stage 15 of the Giro is a mountainous race through the Dolomites. Simon Yates strikes on the penultimate climb and solos to victory. A group with Tom Dumoulin finishes 41 seconds back, while Chris Froome loses more than 1 minute. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 15th stage 2018 Giro d’Italia

1. Simon Yates (gbr)
2. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 0.41
3. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.
4. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.
5. Richard Carapaz (ecu) s.t.
6. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
7. Alexandre Geniez (fra) + 1.20
8. Davide Formolo (ita) s.t.
9. Pello Bilbao (spa) s.t.
10. Sam Oomen (nld) s.t.

13. Patrick Konrad (aut) s.t.
14. George Bennett (nzl) s.t.
15. Ben O’Connor (aus) s.t.
16. Rohan Dennis (aus) s.t.
17. Chris Froome (gbr) + 1.32
18. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.

GC after the 15th stage
1. Simon Yates (gbr)
2. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 2.11
3. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 2.28
4. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 2.37
5. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 4.27
6. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 4.47
7. Chris Froome (gbr) + 4.52
8. George Bennett (nzl) + 5.34
9. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 5.59
10. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 6.13

11. Rohan Dennis (aus) + 6.41
12. Ben O’Connor (aus) + 7.12
13. Sam Oomen (nld) + 7.27
14. Carlos Betancur (col) + 8.00
15. Alexandre Geniez (fra) + 9.00
16. Wout Poels (nld) + 9.38

Race report
Following an active start it takes almost 48 kms for a break to be established. Nico Denz, Krists Neilands, Dayer Quintana and Quentin Jauregui crest the peak with a small lead, but the peloton keeps chasing. In the valley a number of riders – Ciccone, Visconti, Brambilla, De Marchi, Lutsenko, Ulissi, Masnada, and others – jump across, and the peloton stops chasing after 70 km.

The front group races to a lead of more than 3 minutes before it goes down to 2 minutes when the riders hit the Passo Tre Croci. Ciccone, Cherel, Neilands, Denz and Quintana distance the rest of the front group on climb. Michael Woods accelerates in the peloton and crests almost 1 minute after the leaders. Ciccone pockets most KOM-points.

AG2R team-mates Cherel/Denz jump clear on descent to put 1 more minute into both Woods and the peloton. Quintana rejoins the leaders in the valley.

Visconti and Ciccone track down the three leaders just before tackling the Passo di Sant’Antonio with the peloton 2 minutes in arrears.

Quintana, Visconti and Cherel lose contact on the climb. Fabio Aru is dropped in the peloton, while Sam Oomen ups the pace. The main group is closing in on the two leaders. Ciccone is first to crest, 35 seconds ahead of the peloton.

On descent Denz leaves Ciccone behind and he hits the short and sharp climb to Costalissoio as the sole leader. Chris Froome is distanced in the main group and Simon Yates speeds up. López hooks on and Dumoulin, Pinot, Carapaz and Pozzivivo make it back, too. But then Yates strikes again. And now he is gone for good.

Denz and Ciccone are both gobbled up. It’s up to the GC-guys now. Yates reaches the crest 18 seconds ahead of Dumoulin et al. Froome is 1 minute in arrears.

Yates widens the gap on the climb to Sappada. Dumoulin is leading the chase until Carapaz attacks with 4 kms to go. The other riders jump to his wheel, except Dumoulin. The title defender claws back metre by metre to rejoin the chasers in the last kilometre.

The maglia rosa wins the stage – his third in this Giro -, while López and Dumoulin sprint to second and third place.

Following the rest day Yates defends a lead of 2’11” on the 34.2 kilometres time trial.