Colombia’s Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton – Scott) took his third stage win at the Giro d’Italia but the first victory since he was diagnosed with mononucleosis after last year’s Corsa Rosa. He bounced back in style as a winner throughout several attacks from a breakaway group up the hill to San Martino di Castrozza. Despite a cruel mechanical in a crucial moment, local rider Andrea Vendrame (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec) finished second and Portugal’s Amaro Antunes (CCC Team) was third. Another Colombian fired up the finale as “Superman” Lopez (Astana Pro Team) rode away from the group of favourites to gain 44 seconds on the five riders who are ahead of him on GC. Race leader Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) responded calmly to a late acceleration by Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo – Visma) ahead of the last mountain stage to the gruelling Croce d’Aune.
The breakaway formed reasonably quickly on stage 19, with Chaves amongst the 11 riders who made the first split.
The peloton chased for a number of kilometres to follow, and counter attacks launched, but just one additional rider was able to join the action at the front.
As the race settled, Movistar Team took their position as race leaders at the head of the bunch, and allowed the move to ride out and settled at an advantage of eight minutes, not interested in fighting for the stage.
As the race entered the final 35km, the advantage was over nine minutes and the escapees began to start playing for the stage.
Manuele Boaro (Astana Pro Team) was the first to attack and the games began.
Chaves shouldered the majority of the work on the final climb, putting in multiple attacks only to be covered each time and have no one willing to work with him. Eventually, he finally broke the elastic on the steepest part of the climb with 2.4km remaining to ride to an emphatic and emotional solo victory.
After stage wins in 2016 and 2018, today’s success makes the 29-year-old the first Colombian to win a stage at three different editions of the Giro.
Stage winner Chaves said in the press conference: “Since I finished second overall in the Giro in 2016, I haven’t only had physical problems but so many other things in my life too. Most importantly, I never gave up. Today it’s a relief. The last uphill is a summary of my difficult years and a summary of life: I’ve attacked many times and believed in myself to make it on the finishing line.”
The Maglia Rosa Richard Carapaz said in the press conference: “I’ll think of Verona the day we’ll be in Verona. Today’s attack by Miguel Angel Lopez was expected but Mikel Landa is now totally at my service. He said it to me with his own words. I’m not stressed about defending the Maglia Rosa. I’m confident.”
Stage 19 Brief Results:
- Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton – Scott) – 151km in 4h01’31”
- Andrea Vendrame (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec) at 10″
- Amaro Antunes (CCC Team) at 12″
General Classification After Stage 19:
- Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team)
- Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain – Merida) at 1’54”
- Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo – Visma) at 2’16”
- Mikel Landa (Movistar Team) at 3’03”
- Bauke Mollema (Trek – Segafredo) at 5’07”
Jerseys:
- Maglia Rosa (pink), general classification leader, sponsored by Enel – Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team)
- Maglia Ciclamino (cyclamen), sprinter classification leader, sponsored by Segafredo – Pascal Ackermann (Bora – Hansgrohe)
- Maglia Azzurra (blue), King of the Mountains classification leader, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Giulio Ciccone (Trek – Segafredo)
- Maglia Bianca (white), young rider general classification leader, sponsored by Eurospin – Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team)
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