Giro 2019: Benedetti wins in Pinerolo, Polanc new leader

The breakaway is successful in the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia. Cesare Benedetti wins the five-up sprint, while Jan Polanc moves into the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 12th stage Giro d’Italia 2019

1. Cesare Benedetti (ita)
2. Damiano Caruso (ita) s.t.
3. Eddie Dunbar (irl) s.t.
4. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) + 0.02
5. Eros Capecchi (ita) + 0.06
6. Jan Polanc (slo) + 0.25
7. Matteo Montaguti (ita) + 0.34
8. Thomas De Gendt (bel) + 2.36
9. Francesco Gavazzi (ita) s.t.
10. Manuel Senni (ita) + 2.38

18. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 7.35
19. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
22. Pavel Sivakov (rus) + 8.03
23. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
24. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
25. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
27. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
28. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
30. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 8.09
33. Hugh Carthy (gbr) + 8.43
43. Davide Formolo (ita) + 10.37
44. Valerio Conti (ita) s.t.
46. Bob Jungels (lux) s.t.
80. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 18.44

GC after stage 12
1. Jan Polanc (slo)
2. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 4.07
3. Valerio Conti (ita) + 4.51
4. Eros Capecchi (ita) + 5.02
5. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 5.51
6. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 6.02
7. Rafal Majka (pol) + 7.00
8. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 7.23
9. Andrey Amador (crc) + 7.30
10 Hugh Carthy (gbr) + 7.33

12. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 7.45
13. Simon Yates (gbr) + 7.53
16. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 8.08
19. Pavel Sivakov (rus) + 8.18
21. Mikel Landa (spa) + 8.31
23. Bob Jungels (lux) + 8.59
25. Davide Formolo (ita) + 9.33

Race report
Thomas De Gendt and Eddie Dunbar are the first attackers, while Bakelants, Sütterlin, Gavazzi, Montaguti, Boaro, Cataldo, Caruso, Covili, Senni, Benedetti, Cerny, Capecchi, Bennett, Ludvigsson, Dunne, Kluge, Gasparotto, Wyss, Knees, Biermans, Haller, Brambilla and Polanc track them down after 18 kilometers. They carve out a gap of more than 15 minutes.

The front group disintegrates on the Montoso. Polanc, Capecchi, Dunbar, Brambilla and Caruso are the remaining leaders in the last kilometre before the top, while López attacks in the main group and Landa counter-attacks. The Colombian rejoins the Spaniard. Maglia rosa Conti, Mollema, Formolo, Jungels and Oomen are dropped in the group with favourites.

Jan Polanc is best-placed on GC. The Slovenian is 5.24 minutes down on his teammate and maglia rosa Valerio Conti. He can’t follow the pace before Brambilla takes most KOM points at the top to move into the KOM lead.

Polanc, Benedetti, Cataldo and Montaguti track down the front group in the descent. Sütterlin and Boaro wait for their leaders Landa and López. A group with Mollema rejoins pre-race favourites Roglic, Yates and Nibali on the flat section before Pinerolo.

Brambilla and Capecchi leave the other attackers behind on the cobbled climb in the finish town. Dunbar rejoins them in the descent before Benedetti and Caruso regain contact on the flat. Brambilla opens the sprint, but Benedetti comes around to power to the first victory of his career. Polanc crosses the line 25 seconds behind the Italian to move into the overall lead.

The Landa and López attack brings them a gain of just under 30 seconds on most of their GC rivals.

Another interesting read: route 12th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia.