Giro 2023: Zana outsprints Pinot in Val di Zoldo, Thomas retains pink

foto: Cor VosThibaut Pinot and Filippo Zana attack from the breakaway in the penultimate climb. The Italian outsprints the Frenchman in Val di Zoldo, while Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic cross the line together. The Welshman keeps the maglia rosa and the Slovene moves up to second place. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage 2023 Giro

1. Filippo Zana (ita)
2. Thibaut Pinot (fra)
3. Warren Barguil (fra) + 0.50
4. Derek Gee (can) + 1.03
5. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (fra) + 1.24
6. Marco Frigo (ita) s.t.
7. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 1.56
8. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
9. João Almeida (por) + 2.17
10. Eddie Dunbar (irl) + 2.32

12. Thymen Arensman (nld) + 2.40
13. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 2.57
14. Lennard Kämna (ger) + 3.03
16. Andreas Leknessund (nor) + 3.13
18. Laurens De Plus (bel) + 3.16

GC after stage 18
1. Geraint Thomas (gbr)
2. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 0.29
3. João Almeida (por) + 0.39
4. Eddie Dunbar (irl) + 3.39
5. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 3.51
6. Lennard Kämna (ger) + 4.27
7. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 4.43
8. Andreas Leknessund (nor) + 4.47
9. Thymen Arensman (nld) + 4.53
10. Laurens De Plus (bel) + 5.52

Race report
A lot of movement in the first phase of the race, but the breakaway is established in the first climb of the day, the Passo della Crosetta. Team mates Derek Gee and Marco Frigo launch a duo attack, while Thibaut Pinot, Filippo Zana and Aurélien Paret-Peintre rejoin them.

Pinot is the first rider over the summit, 30 seconds ahead of the first chaser, Vadim Pronskiy. Warren Barguil rejoins the Kazach on the plateau after La Crosetta. The two track down the leaders before the descent.

Pinot reaches the Pieve d’Alpago KOM in first position and he overhauls Ben Healy in the KOM competition on the Forcella Cibiana. Pronskiy has been dropped, while the peloton reaches the summit 4.30 minutes later.

Frigo loses contact on descent, but he makes it back just before the climb to Coi. He is dropped again when the gradients kick up and Pinot sets the pace. Paret-Peintre is distanced also. As is Barguil. And Gee.

Kuss and Roglic up the pace in the GC group. Almeida drops back. Thomas and Dunbar follow the Jumbo-Visma move. Then Roglic accelerates and Thomas follows him like a shadow. Dunbar winds up in a chase group with Vine and Almeida.

Pinot and Zana reach the summit together and are going to battle it out for the stage win. Meanwhile, Thomas and Roglic work together to distance Almeida. At a certain point the Portuguese almost regained contact, but then the gap goes out again.

Pinot opens the sprint in Val di Zoldo early and Zana follows his wheel to come out of it in the last metres. The Italian takes the best win in his career, while Roglic and Thomas cross the line almost 2 minutes later, 21 seconds ahead of Almeida. Thomas keeps the pink jersey, while Roglic and Almeida swap places.

Another interesting read: route 18th stage 2023 Giro.