Giro 2020: Geoghegan Hart wins mountain stage, Almeida holds on to pick

Tao Geoghegan Hart wint the mountain stage to Piancavallo ahead of Wilco Kelderman and Jai Hindley. Most pre-race favourites are dropped on the climb, while João Almeida holds on to the maglia rosa. Wilco Kelderman moves closer and still sits in second, only 15 seconds down on the race lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 15th stage Giro d’Italia 2020

1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr)
2. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 0.02
3. Jai Hindley (aus) + 0.04
4. João Almeida (por) + 0.37
5. Rafal Majka (pol) + 1.22
6. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 1.29
7. James Knox (gbr) + 1.36
8. Pello Bilbao (spa) s.t.
9. Jakob Fuglsang (den) s.t.
10. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.

11. Fausto Masnada (ita) + 1.38
12. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 1.54
15. Brandon McNulty (usa) + 2.43

GC after stage 15
1. João Almeida (por)
2. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 0.15
3. Jai Hindley (aus) + 2.56
4. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr) + 2.57
5. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 3.10
6. Rafal Majka (pol) + 3.18
7. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 3.29
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 3.50
9. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 4.09
10. Fausto Masnada (ita) + 4.12

Race report
Twelve riders attack almost from the gun: Thomas De Gent, Rohan Dennis, Mark Padun, Matthew Holmes, Daniel Navarro, Nathan Haas, Manuele Boaro, Luca Chirico, Andrea Vendrame, Davide Villella, Giovanni Visconti and Edoardo Zardini. The peloton keeps pushing for tens of kilometres – Zardini and Haas can’t follow the pace and drop back -, before giving up the chase.

Sergio Samitier tracks the leaders down on the Sella Chianzutan before Visconti reaches the summit ahead of Holmes. The Italian moves into the KOM lead.

Visconti cements his lead on the Forcella di Monte Rest, while the peloton reaches the summit with a deficit of almost 5 minutes.

On the run-in to the Forcella di Pala Barzana Villella loses contact due to a mechanical, while the leaders tackle the climb with the lead down to 3 minutes. De Gendt heads out alone and Dennis goes with him before he continues to solo.

Sunweb sets the pace in the GC group on the finish climb. Fuglsang, Bilbao and Pozzovivo lose contact inside the last 9 kilometres. A little later Nibali also drops back.

When Hindley ups the pace with 7.2 kilometres to go maglia rosa Almeida can’t follow. Only the Australian, his leader Kelderman and Geoghegan Hart left at the front. The trio widens the lead little by little…

While Geoghegan Hart outsprints Kelderman in Piancavallo, Almeida keeps on fighting to stay in the maglia rosa, 15 seconds ahead of Kelderman. Hindley moves up to third place, almost 3 minutes behind the race leader.

Another interesting read: route 5th stage 2020 Giro d’Italia.