Team Ineos Grenadiers rider Egan Bernal on Monday confirmed his return to form as he won the 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia in the Dolomites, crossed the finish line solo — his arms aloft and the overall leader’s pink jersey on his back — and positioned himself for victory in the race’s final week.
Any fears over Bernal’s class following last year’s flop on his Tour de France defense, have been allayed with the way that he has so far lit up this Giro.
“This is a great victory, winning wearing the maglia rosa is special and I wanted to show it,” Bernal said. “It was a hard stage also because of the weather, but I had the right mentality from the beginning. I was ready to suffer and we did it.”
Photo: AP
The overall leader crossed the line alone in the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo to finish 27 seconds ahead of Frenchman Romain Bardet and Italian Damiano Caruso.
The 2019 Tour de France winner leads surprise package Caruso by 2 minutes, 24 seconds, with Britain’s Hugh Carthy in third with 3 minutes, 40 seconds.
Yesterday was a rest day before four more climb stages, a flat one and a time trial to end the race in Milan on Sunday.
“Today I wanted to do something special, to show I am back in the game and the team, too,” said Bernal, who has been wearing the pink jersey since winning the ninth stage eight days ago.
It is Bernal’s first Giro and comes nine months after his difficulties on last year’s Tour de France, where he pulled out after slipping out of contention.
“The team believe in me and I’ve proven that they can count on me,” he said. “Now, with a lead of 2 minutes, 24 seconds, even if I have a more difficult day in the mountains, I should be able to handle the situation.”
The 16th stage had been shortened because of rain and freezing weather with two of the days’ climbs scrapped and the distance cut back to 153km from the original 212km.
The final climb of the day, the Giau Pass, the highest point in this year’s race at an altitude of 2,233m, was kept on the route, along with the opening one, up La Crosetta.
The main risk to riders would have been on the slippery descents, during the “Queen stage,” considered the hardest of the race, to Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Bernal was wearing a rain jacket over the leader’s pink jersey as riders headed out for the day 40 minutes late.
A single climb covering 9.9km and with a gradient at 9.3 percent was enough to wring out the group of favorites.
The 24-year-old Bernal attacked, breaking clear 4km from the first summit and arriving at the top with an advantage of 45 seconds on Caruso and 1 minute, 13 seconds ahead of Bardet.
Bardet powered back on the descent to catch Caruso, but could not reach Bernal, who took off his jacket to show his jersey as he triumphantly crossed the finish line.
The pre-race favorite, UCI World Team rider Simon Yates, dropped from second overall to fifth, after the Briton lost more than two-and-a-half minutes in the stage.
“I didn’t get what I wanted, but I did my best,” the 2018 Vuelta a Espana winner said. “It was a difficult stage. Victory is a bit far, but the podium is still within reach — so we have to keep the head high.”
Rookie Remco Evenepoel also slipped behind in the final 30km and the climb to the Giau Pass, with the Team Deceuninck-Quick Step rider 30 minutes behind the overall leader.
“I feel less and less good as the days pass,” said the 21-year-old, who is in his first race since a fall into a ravine during the Tour of Lombardy in August last year.
“I don’t think that someone who has trained for just two months can expect to be in top form for three weeks,” he added.
Today’s 17th stage covers 193km from Canazei to Sega di Ala in the north of Italy with a summit finish.
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