Giro dItalia 2016 Stage 17: Kluge outsmarts sprinters, Kruijswijk retains in overall lead

Giro d’Italia 2016 Stage 17: Kluge outsmarts sprinters, Kruijswijk retains in overall lead

At 196 kilometers, stage 17 in the 2016 Giro d'Italia is tailor made for the fast men who are still on board. Yet, Roger Kluge outsmarts the bunch by a late attack in the last kilometre and he bests the fast men by a few metres. Kruijswijk (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 17th stage Giro d’Italia

1. Roger Kluge (ger)
2. Giacomo Nizzolo (ita) s.t.
3. Nikias Arndt (ger) s.t.
4. Sacha Modolo (ita) s.t.
5. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t.
6. Alexander Porsev (rus) s.t.
7. Pim Ligthart (nld) s.t.
8. Ramunas Navardauskas (lit) s.t.
9. Manuel Belletti (ita) s.t.
10. Paolo Simion (ita) s.t.

GC after 17th stage
1. Steven Kruijswijk (nld)g
2. Esteban Chaves (col) + 3.00
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.23
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 4.43
5. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 4.50
6. Rafal Majka (pol) + 5.34
7. Bob Jungels (lux) + 7.57
8. Andrey Amador (crc) + 8.53
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 10.05
10. Kanstantsin Siutsou (blr) + 11.03

11. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 11.21
12. Rigoberto Uran (den) + 13.53

Race report
Once the flag is dropped Brutt, Oss and Zhupa go on the attack and they race to a maximum lead of almost 6 minutes. With 22 kms remaining the gain is down to under 1 minute, while Bak, Belkov and Konovalovas manage to bridge the gap.

With 1.5 kms left the leaders are caught, yet Lars Bak give it another go. When Pozzato joins him the Danish rider stops pushing and a little later Roger Kluge hook up with the Italian. Kluge drops him and powers to the line, finishing a few metres ahead of the sprinting peloton.

More to follow