Giro 2019 Favourites stage 15: Breakaway on Nibalis Day

Giro 2019 Favourites stage 15: Breakaway on Nibali’s Day

The 15th stage on the Giro d'Italia serves a race on the climbs of the Tour of Lombardy. In 2015 and 2017 Vincenzo Nibali won the Race of the Falling Leaves after a similar finale. (Slideshow route/profile)

The first 160 kilometres are played out on the flat before the Giro enters Il Lombardia. The race serves the Madonna del Ghisallo (8.6 kilometres at 6.2%) and Colma di Sormano (9.6 kilometres at 6.5%) inside the last 60 kilometres. A technical descent drops down to Nesso before the riders continue along the lake-shore to Como. A harsh climb to Civiglio – 4.2 kilometres with steady 10% gradients – is supposed to be decisive. A flying descent leads to fat run-in of 3 kilometres on the broad avenues of Como.

In 2015 and 2017, Nibali attacked just before the top of the Civiglio climb to extend his lead in the descent. Obviously, winning a Classic is not the same as wining a stage when fighting for GC, especially since Roglic will be on his wheel. The Slovenian is a good descender, just like Nibali, but a better sprinter, so a Shark-attack may be not such a good idea after all. It would be great to watch though.

Possibly, the breakaway will turn out to be successful.

Favourites 15th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Alexis Vuillermoz, Thomas De Gendt, Valerio Conti
** Vincenzo Nibali, Primoz Roglic, Davide Formolo
* Hugh Carthy, Simon Yates, Tony Gallopin, Pello Bilbao

Check out the route of stage 15.