54 km: After an uneventful descent, place at Passo Giau
9.8km at 9.3%, sacred piece. For the moment the breakaways have an 8 minute lead, but we have to say to ourselves that this will not be enough given the program awaiting the riders.
67 km from the finish: Gee in the lead in Valparola
the Canadian Derek Gee settled the breakaways at the head of Valparola (1st category pass). More than 8’20 ahead for the breakaways. the best climber’s blue jersey still more on the shoulders of Thibaut Pinot. Behind, the peloton remains very calm, the big fight has not yet started.
77 km – Verona fell
At the front of the race, the Movistar rider went ashore on the climb, without too much damage. The 14 leading men, followed by Stojnic, have a total lead of 7’40 over the peloton.
81 km – The breakaway digs deeper
The leading men now have a 6’52 lead over a peloton that is still calm and still quite packed. Stojnic is the first to pick up the front.
84 km – The gap reaches 6 minutes
The leading men took advantage of the descent to increase their lead over the peloton. They now begin the long ascent of Passo Valparola.
91 km – A short descent
The leading men will approach in a few kilometers the Passo Valparola, classified in 1st category and which has a profile of 13.9km at 5.8%.
95 km – The breakaway crosses the Passo Campolongo
Davide Gabburo passes the first ascent of the day in the lead and scores an additional 18 points in the mountain classification. Nothing to worry about Thibaut Pinot, still warm in the peloton, clocked in at 5’30.
100 km – More than five minutes in advance for the 15 breakaways
The 15 breakaways now have a lead of more than five minutes over the peloton (5’16”) in the first ascent of the day (2nd category).
109 km – The Ineos annoyed by Ben Healy … who laughs at it
By launching an attack on the first ascent of a stage which has five, Ben Healy did not make friends with the leaders. Quickly taken over by Thibaut Pinot (leader of the mountain classification with 63 points ahead of Healy) then the peloton, the Irishman was a little lectured by the Ineos team, who obviously criticized him for leading too early a stage that promises to be long and exhausting as the breakaway has a large lead. The Jumbo-Visma team also took a look at the whimsical runner from Education-First who had a good laugh about it.
110 km – Healy comes out of the peloton, Pinot jumps into his wheel
While the peloton is engaged in the first difficulty of the day, Ben Healy (EF Education First) comes out of the peloton with a view to the classification of the mountain. Thibaut Pinot, currently the best climber, immediately jumps into his wheel to prevent him from escaping. The duo is quickly taken over by the peloton.
118 km – A dozen men in the lead
The breakaway of the day has finally formed, and it has a dozen men, including two Frenchmen from AG2R, Alex Baudin and Nicolas Prodhomme. The best ranked overall is the Colombian from Bahrain, Santiaho Buitrago (+12’02”). The peloton is 4’30” behind.
Note that three men are on the hunt, about a minute behind: Mattia Bais, José Joaquin Rojas, and Carlos Verona.
The composition of the breakaway:
– Alex Baudin
-Nicolas Prodhomme
-Larry Warbasse
Stefano Oldani
-Vadim Pronsky
-Santiago Buitrago
-Patrick Konrad
– Great Court
David Gabburo
-Derek Gee
-Veljko Stojnic
-Michael Hepburn
Carthy non-starter
14th overall this morning, Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) did not start this 19th stage. His team announces that he suffers from stomach problems.
Let’s go for the 19th stage!
The peloton has just set off for 183km in this queen stage. The first of the five climbs of the day will arrive after a long stretch of valley.
And Thomas his pink jersey
In general, Geraint Thomas, who managed to outrun Joao Almeida (a little) on Thursday, hopes to keep his pink jersey reinforced, before the potentially decisive time on Saturday. But it should logically be attacked. If his rivals have the ability…
The general classification:
1. Geraint Thomas (GBR/Ineos)
2. Primoz Roglic (SLO / JUM) at 29”
3. João Almeida (POR / UAE) at 39”
4. Eddie Dunbar (IRL/BIK) at 3’39”
5. Damiano Caruso (ITA / BAH) at 3’51”
6. Lennard Kämna (GER / BOR) at 4’27”
7. Thibaut Pinot (FRA / GFJ) at 4’43”
8. Andreas Leknessund (NOR/DSM) at 4’47”
9. Thymen Arensman (NED/INE) at 4’53”
10. Laurens De Plus (BEL/INE) at 5’52”
Pinot wants to keep his best climber’s jersey
Beaten in the sprint by Filippo Zana on Thursday, and still 2nd at the finish, Thibaut Pinot may have said goodbye to a stage victory for his last Tour of Italy. But the leader of Groupama-FDJ still has a good goal in mind: the defense of his blue jersey for best climber. And given the profile of the stage, there will be a lot of points to pick up on Friday.
The classification of the best climber:
1. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), 227 pts
2. Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost), 164 pts
3. Davide Bais (Elolo-Kometa), 144 pts
Queen stage day on the Giro
Hello everyone ! Welcome to this direct dedicated to the 19th stage of the Giro 2023, which on paper presents itself as the queen stage. Before the time trial as expected as it is feared on Saturday, the survivors of the Tour of Italy will battle in the mountains this Friday, with 183 very tough km between Longarone and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, where a beautiful finish at the top is looming. What, perhaps, to tip the battle for the pink jersey.
In detail, the runners will first have to climb the Passo Campolongo (cat 2), then the Passo Valparola (cat 1), the Passo Giau (cat 1), the passo Tre Croci (cat 2) and finally the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (cat 1). A beautiful program.
