What a step! The profile promised but maybe not as much. During the 14th stage of the Giro, Simon Yates showed himself to be the strongest to win alone. Richard Carapaz is the new overall leader as several favorites lost time.
This step was expected, it kept all its promises, and more. With a very rugged profile, this 14th stage of the Tour of Italy might reshuffle the cards. And she did.
From the start of the stage, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) tried his luck and took a bit of a lead but no one followed. Then begins a rather unreadable scenario. It goes in all directions, breaks take place, Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco) is one of the riders who try to get out but it does nothing.
Finally, a small group manages to take off, Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto-Soudal) is one of them. Behind the team INEOS Grenadiers Richard Carapaz takes things in hand but gives way to the breakaway before being helped by Bora-Hansgrohe.
The German team is doing a phenomenal job and totally blowing up the peloton. Several favorites including Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) are trapped, as is Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Alexander Valverde (Movistar). If the Portuguese ends up returning, this will never be the case for the other two.
About thirty kilometers from the finish, the attacks multiplied in the group of favorites and it was finally Carapaz who made the sharpest attack while the pink jersey Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) must let the other favorites slip away.
In this group, the agreement is not the best. Almeida leads the chase before being relieved by Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and the Bora-Hangroshe duo composed ofEmmanuel Buchman et Jai Hindley. Very fit in front, Carapaz is widening the gap.
In the penultimate ascent, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) launches the revolt with Hindley. Yates tries to follow while the other favorites fail. The three pursuers end up returning to Carapaz while the rest of the candidates for the podium point to a good thirty seconds with 13 kilometers from the finish.
Passed under the five kilometer banner, Yates isolates himself in front and leaves behind his three breakaway companions and is never caught. The Briton therefore won this fourteenth stage regarding fifteen seconds ahead of Hindley and Carapaz. The Ecuadorian took advantage of Lopez’s explosion to take the leader’s pink jersey.
