Giro 2019: Bilbao wins on punchy finish, Conti still leader

The 7th stage of the Giro d'Italia runs on rolling to hilly terrain to a thrilling finale. Bilbao outguns Gallopin, Formolo, Hamilton and Cattaneo, while Conti holds the maglia rosa. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 7th stage Giro d’Italia 2019

1. Pello Bilbao (spa)
2. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 0.05
3. Davide Formolo (ita) s.t.
4. Lucas Hamilton (aus) + 0.09
5. Mattia Cattaneo (ita) s.t.
6. José Joaquín Rojas (spa)+ 0.30
7. Sebastián Henao (col) + 0.48
8. Antonio Pedrero (spa) + 1.01
9. Valentin Madouas (fra) + 1.07
10. Andrea Vendrame (ita) s.t.

GC after stage 7
1. Valerio Conti (ita)
2. José Joaquín Rojas (spa) + 1.32
3. Giovanni Carboni (ita) + 1.41
4. Nans Peters (fra) + 2.09
5. Valentin Madouas (fra) + 2.17
6. Amaro Antunes (por) + 2.45
7. Fausto Masnada (ita) + 3.14
8. Pieter Serry (bel) + 3.25
9. Andrey Amador + 3.27
10. Sam Oomen (nld) + 4.57

12. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 5.24
13. Davide Formolo (ita) s.t.
15. Simon Yates (gbr) + 5.59
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 6.03
17. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 6.08
18. Rafal Majka (pol) + 6.13
20. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 6.19
21. Bob Jungels (lux) + 6.26
25. Richard Carapaz (ecu) + 6.45
26. Pavel Sivakov (rus) + 6.48
27. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 7.00
29. Mikel Landa (spa) + 7.13

Race report
Following a lot of movement in the first hour a large breakaway takes shape after 60 kilometres. Tony Gallopin, Pello Bilbao, Ion Izagirre, Mikel Nieve, Valentin Madous, Hugh Carthy, Jasper De Buyst, Ruben Plaza, José Joaquin Rojas, Tosh Van der Sande, Alexis Vuillermoz, Mikkel Frölich Honoré, Michael Schwarzmann, Valerio Agnoli, Cesare Benedetti, Jay Hindley, Kristian Sbaragli, Paul Martens and Michael Gogl race to a lead of 1 minute before Bahrain Merida and UAE Emirates start to track them down. The lead group is brought back after a 20 kilometres chase.

The action continues when Davide Formolo opens up a gap on the climb to Chieti. Bilbao, Gallopin, De Gendt, Henao, McCarthy, Pedrero, Cattaneo, Plaza, Hamilton and Zeits go with him. De Gendt and Plaza drop back on the Le Svolte di Popoli climb with 50 kilometres out, while the lead group reaches the summit almost 2 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Formolo, Bilbao, Gallopin, Cattaneo and Hamilton are the last men standing in the finale. Rojas regains contact in the last 4 kilometres and goes on the attack, but Formolo brings him back. Bilbao doesn’t falter and goes on the counterattack. He tackles the last climb with a small lead and holds off the chasers on the punch climb to the line. Gallopin outsprints Formolo for second place, while Conti finishes 1 minute down on the winner to retain the maglia rosa.

Another interesting read: route 7th race 2019 Giro d’Italia.