Giro 2018 Stage 19: Froome rides into pink with long-range solo attack

The Queen Stage of the Giro d'Italia travels over three intermediate climbs, including the partly unpaved Colle delle Finestre, to finish with a final haul up the steep Jafferau. Maglia rosa Simon Yates is dropped on the Finestre just before Chris Froome strikes with 80 kilometres to go. He solos to victory and the maglia rosa. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 19th stage 2018 Giro d’Italia

1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 3.00
3. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 3.07
4. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 3.12
5. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 3.23
6. Sebastien Reichenbach (swi) + 6.13
7. Davide Formolo (ita) + 8.22
8. Sam Oomen (nld) + 8.23
9. Patrick Konrad (aut) s.t.
10. Pello Bilbao (spa) s.t.

11. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 8.29
12. George Bennett (nzl) + 8.38
13. Alexandre Geniez (fra) + 9.45
15. Wout Poels (nld) + 11.09
18. Rohan Dennis (aus) + 14.38
42. Carlos Betancur (col) + 34.28
79. Simon Yates (gbr) + 38.51

GC after the 19th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.40
3. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 4.17
4. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 4.57
5. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 5.44
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 8.03
7. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 11.08
8. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 12.19
9. George Bennett (NZL) + 12.35
10. Sam Oomen (nld) + 14.18

11. Davide Formolo (ita) + 15.16
12. Alexandre Geniez (fra) + 16.29
13. Rohan Dennis (aus) + 16.38
14. Wout Poels (nld) + 17.40

Race report
A lot of movement in the opening of the race, but the pack is still bunched on the Colle del Lys. Then Matteo Montaguti, Luis León Sánchez, Davide Formolo, Carlos Betancur, Sergio Henao and Valerio Conti take off, while Fabio Aru can’t follow the pace before he abandons. Darwin Atapuma, Mikaël Cherel, Antonio Pedrero and José Gonçalves jump across to the six leaders. Sánchez is first over the top ahead of Montaguti.

Back in the valley the front group is a small peloton. Ten Dam, Visconti, Neilands, De La Cruz, Brambilla, Masnada, Villella, Ciccone, Stybar, Dombrowski, Brown and Pantano have made it across. Yet, the peloton is close behind.

Montaguti accelerates on the false flat to the Finestre with Neilands and Montaguti on his wheel. Brown and Conti bridge across, while LL Sánchez, Bouwman, Van Poppel (Danny) and Torres track them down.

The nine hit the Colle delle Finestre 1 minute ahead of the pack. Van Poppel and Neilands are distanced early on, while LL Sánchez heads out alone. The others are brought back by the SKY led peloton.

Simon Yates struggles and drops with 86 kms to go. LL Sánchez stops his efforts to wait for his leader López, who is struggling in the main group. Top 10 placed riders Dennis and Konrad are dropped.

Some 6 kms before the top Elissonde speeds up with Froome on his wheel. Pozzovivo drops, but Dumoulin holds on. But when the four-time Tour de France winner goes alone the Dutchman can’t hold his wheel. On the rest of the climb Dumoulin is chasing with Pinot, Carapaz and López. Reichenbach is close behind.

Dumoulin et al reach the crest 38 seconds after Froome, while Pozzovivo is more than 2 minutes in arrears. Yates is out of GC-contention, cresting 15 minutes down on the race leader. Reichenbach rejoins the chasers on descent.

On the road to Sestriere, the third KOM, Froome not only widens the gap, he also pockets 3 seconds in the intermediate sprint. Dumoulin takes 2 seconds. In Sestriere the Briton is leading with 2.40, while the group Pozzovivo is more than 5 minutes back.

In Bardonecchia, at the foot of the last climb, Froome holds a lead of 3.24. Pinot leaves his companions behind to open up a gap, which is closed by Dumoulin before López and Carapaz distance the others. But once again it comes together after a strong effort by the title defender. Then it’s up to Dumoulin to lead the chase.

During the whole climb Froome keep his chasers at more than 3 minutes, so he is heading for pink. In the last km Dumoulin is distanced by Carapaz, Pinot and López, who are fighting for a podium and the young rider classification, and the title defender finishes 3.23 down on Froome.