Giro dItalia 2016 Stage 19: Nibali soloes to victory, Chaves new leader as Kruijswijk crashes out of pink

Giro d’Italia 2016 Stage 19: Nibali soloes to victory, Chaves new leader as Kruijswijk crashes out of pink

Stage 19 in the 2016 Giro d'Italia totals 162 kilometres. Roughly half of the distance is played out on uphill roads. After a Kruijswijk crash in the drop of the Agnel, Nibali and Chaves take the opportunity to put time into the maglia rosa. Nibali wins the stage after a solo on the Risoul-climb, while Chaves takes the pink jersey. One mountain stage left and three riders within a 1 minute time frame - spectacle is waiting to be released. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 19th stage Giro d’Italia

1. Vincenzo Nibali (ita)
2. Mikel Nieve (spa) + 0.51
3. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.53
4. Diego Ulissi (ita) + 1.02
5. Rafal Majka (pol) + 2.14
6. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
7. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
8. Georg Preidler (aut) + 2.43
9. Nicolas Roche (irl) + 2.51
10. Hubert Dupont (fra) s.t.

14. Bob Jungels (lux) + 3.45
15. Andrey Amador (crc) + 4.30
16. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 4.54

GC after the 19th stage
1. Esteban Chaves (col)
2. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.44
3. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 1.05
4. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 1.48
5. Rafal Majka (pol) + 3.59
6. Bob Jungels (lux) + 7.53
7. Andrey Amador (crc) + 9.34
8. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 12.18
9. Kanstatsin Siousou (blr) + 13.19
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 14.11

Race report
The pace is high with over 50 kms done in the first hour of racing. Despite a number of attempts, it’s only 75 kms into the race when a break gets clear. 28 riders are on board, among them Wellens, Scarponi, Nieve, Ulissi, Pirazzi, Cunego, Denifl and Nieve. They race to a 5 minutes lead.

At the steeper slopes of the Agnel Scarponi goes solo, while Chaves puts pressure one his opponents in the group with GC favourites. Kruijswijk and Nibali are the only GC guys who are strong enough to react.

Scarponi is the first at the top, 1’30” ahead of Nieve. The group Kruijswijk is 5 minutes down and Valverde and friends are 6 minutes adrift.

In the drop the pink jersey disappears for a moment in the walls of snow on the side of the road and he is forced to chase. Zakarin crashes later and he has to abandon.

Monfort joins Scarponi, who let’s go a little later to wait for Nibali.

At the closing climb up to Risoul Montfort is gobbled up by the group with Nibali and Chaves. After he made a few moves Nibali is off with 5 kms to go. Chaves tries to hold on, but eventually he has to let go and is joines by Nieve. The Sky rider leaves him alone in the last kilometre, yet the Colombian is the new man in pink as Kruijswijk loses minutes on the Risoul-climb. Little wonder as he was isolated from his crash onwards.