Wearing the leader’s pink jersey, Colombia’s Nairo Quintana closed in on a Giro d’Italia title after winning the 19th stage of the event on the slopes of Monte Grappa on Friday.
The Movistar Team rider consolidated his race lead two days before the Giro’s finish as he crossed 17 seconds ahead of Italy’s Fabio Aru following a 26.8km time-trial.
Fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran of Omega Pharma-Quick Step — second in the overall standings — finished third at 1 minute, 26 seconds, as Quintana achieved his second stage success of the race.
Photo: AFP
Quintana holds a 3:07 lead on Uran in the overall standings, with ProTeam Astana rider Aru at 3:48.
“It was my speciality, I couldn’t let this stage go, especially given my family had come from Colombia to watch me,” he said. “I’m delighted to have given them this victory.”
Having finished second to Chris Froome at last year’s Tour de France, this has been Quintana’s opportunity to consolidate his position as the best climber in the world and a Grand Tour contender.
However, he refused to be drawn on whether he would challenge for the Tour next season.
“I need to keep improving. Youngsters who like me are from the 1990 generation are very strong. Aru, of course, and [Michal] Kwiatkowski, [Rafal] Majka. Our levels are not very far apart,” he said.
“Last year, the Tour de France gave me the opportunity to show who Nairo Quintana is, to show that I’m able to challenge on a three-week race. In this Giro, I’ve consolidated,” he added.
Yesterday’s final stage in the mountains covered 167km from Maniago to Monte Zoncolan, with the final climb considered one of the toughest in Europe with 10.1km at a 11.9 percent gradient — an ideal climb for Quintana to extend his lead, if anything.
“It’s a very demanding climb, I like the beginning,” the Colombian said. “I didn’t manage to ride the rest of it when we came here for reconnaissance because of the snow. I’ll control things and if I’m feeling good, I’ll try to win the stage.”
The main battle is likely to be for the minor places, with Aru needing to make up 41 seconds on Uran to snatch second, while France’s Pierre Rolland and Italian Domenico Pozzovivo will be hoping to snatch a podium spot.
However, they are 1:38 and 2:28 behind respectively and would need a stellar performance on the Zoncolan to move into the top three.
The time trial did see a certain amount of movement in the top 10, as 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans rose two places to seventh overall with an 11th-place finish.
The Australian had dropped from third to ninth after struggling on Thursday’s 18th stage.
Canada’s 2012 Giro winner Ryder Hesjedal dropped two places to ninth, while Pozzovivo moved up to fifth after taking more than a minute out of Poland’s Rafal Majka, who dropped to sixth.
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