Richard Carapaz has been left with the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia, but Australian Jai Hindley is getting closer, narrowing the gap to just three seconds after a tight final on stage 16.
Classification of the Giro d’Italia
- Richard Carapaz (ECU)
- Jai Hindley (AUS) – three seconds behind
- João Almeida (POR) – 44 seconds
- Mikel Landa (SPA) – 59 seconds
- Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – 3:40 p.m.
- Sunday Pozzovivo (ITA) – 3:48
Czech cyclist Jan Hirt won the tough stage for his first victory on a major tour and Richard Carapaz maintained the lead as the race headed into the high mountains last week.
The key fight was for the third position and the last seconds of bonus between the favorites of the general, with the Australian Hindley advancing in few centimeters to Carapaz and Mikel Landa.
The quartet, which also included Alejandro Valverde, crossed 1 minute and 24 seconds of Hirt.
Hindley, who was runner-up in 2020, narrowed the gap with Carapaz to three seconds. João Almeida remained third overall but lost 14 seconds and is now 0:44 behind the Ecuadorian cyclist.
“It was a tough stage and in the end I have to say I’m happy,” Carapaz said.
Loading
“I thought I was going to win the sprint for third place. I didn’t make it in the end, but it’s still a good day for me.
“I lost a few seconds to Hindley, but I gained more to Almeida, so the balance is positive.”
Hirt grabbed his head in disbelief before raising his hands in the air as he crossed the line at the end of the 202-kilometer route from Salo to Aprica, which included one of the toughest climbs in the sport by the Mortirolo.
“Every time someone asks me why I do cycling, what I want to achieve, I thought I wanted to win a stage of the Giro and then I can stop my career,” Hirt said laughing. “I’m happy now, but I don’t want to stop.”
The stretch also included two other top-level climbs, as more than 5,000 meters of climbing came together in an epic stage. It was also the annual wine stage of the race and was dedicated to the Sforzato variety from the Valtellina area.
Hirt attacked near the top of the Santa Cristina climb, with double-digit gradients, and although he almost lost control on a descent that the previous rain had made treacherous, the 31-year-old managed to stay in bike and finished seven seconds ahead. Timon Arensman.
“I wanted to try to do something nice today,” Hirt said.
“I had some pretty difficult times … then at the end of the last climb I also had a problem with my bike, it wasn’t going well and the chain was jumping and I also had cramps on the descent, so I was suffering a lot and I I have all these problems, but I really wanted to win, so I will fight to the end. “
Landa was fourth, while two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali moved into fifth place after a peloton attack on the Passo Mortirolo descent.
Although he was caught by his rivals, the form he showed suggests that there is still more for the Italian cyclist in his last Giro.
The 17th stage on Wednesday has almost 4,000 meters of elevation gain along the 168 km route from Ponte di Legno to Lavarone.
The Giro ends on Sunday in Verona.
AP / ABC