Signore, signori, bongiorno a Saint-Vincent! We are just one day away of the Giro's arrival in Milano - but before tomorrow's closing flat stage, the riders will have to climb up to the highest point of the whole race today - the Cima Coppi awarded on top of the Colle delle Finestre!
Today's 20th stage - after which we will likely know the final GC - starts in the Valle d'Aosta, more precisely in Saint-Vincent - a place that Reis won't be happy to go to ever again, after yesterday's disaster... But it's quite fitting that this village of about 5,000 inhabitants hosts one of Italy's largest Casinos, as this final week turns out to be quite a lot of roulette for the Portuguese. On another note, it's a popular summer holiday resort, with tourism being the primary source of revenue for the village.
From here, the riders will take the way back to Pont-Saint-Martin - yesterday the entrance, today the exit of the Aosta Valley. After a first small hill, close to Strambinello, the journey continues on false flat roads - first descending until Lombardore, then ascending. The intermediate sprint in Drubiaglio-Grangia, after 116.7km, is on this latter part.
By then, the riders will already have bypassed Torino, from where will start tomorrow's closing stage. From Piedmont's capital, we will head up the Susa Valley, along the Dora Riparia river, which is why the road is slightly ascending. But you can cancel the "slightly" once we have reached Susa, after about 150 kilometers.
Because from there takes off this race's longest and toughest climb, up to the highest point of the 2020 Giro, decorated with the Cima Coppi: The Colle delle Finestre! Almost 1,700 meters of height gain on about 18 kilometers of climbing, thereof 8 on gravel roads - this one definitely is worthy of the HC category!
Once the mountaintop reached, after 168.3km, the hardest climbs of this Giro are done - but there's still a final ascent remaining! After the downhill to Pourrières and another false flat to Pragelato, we'll start the climb up to Sestriere. As we said, this one definitely isn't among the hardest inclines anymore, but after almost 3 weeks and more than 3,000 kilometers in the saddle, it will definitely be a final test for the riders - one that could make or break the whole race for some!
This winter sports resort has actually seen the Tour de France arriving on top more often than the Giro, but it still isn't a first. But not only cyclists and skiers like to come up here; Sestriere holds the record for the highest European 18-hole golf course, and once even had a ski jumping hill. And it was the starting point of the Rallye Sestriere, leading to Rome via Bologna.
But today, we'll definitely keep our focus on cycling. Yesterday, top favorite Taaramäe finally took over the Maglia Rosa from Malecki - and the two main questions of the day will be:
Can the Estonian win his 3rd Grand Tour of the career - and complete his career GT-slam after winning the Tour de France in 2018 and the Vuelta last year?
Can the Pole accomplish the big sensation and defend his podium spot?
Just to remind you of the current standings, let's again take a look at the Top 20:
1.
Rein Taaramäe
82h06'40"
2.
Kamil Malecki
+ 37"
3.
Timofey Kritskiy
+ 1'15"
4.
Jack Haig
+ 3'53"
5.
Warren Barguil
+ 5'06"
6.
Chen Shikai
+ 6'03"
7.
William Chiarello
+ 6'56"
8.
Andrei Amador
+ 7'59"
9.
Simon Spilak
+ 8'08"
10.
Sigurd Nesset
+ 9'03"
11.
Alex Kirsch
+ 9'45"
12.
Andrew Talansky
+ 9'45"
13.
Tim Kennaugh
+ 9'59"
14.
Marcus Faglum Karlsson
+ 11'13"
15.
Rafael Valls
+ 12'01"
16.
Francesco Bongiorno
+ 12'38"
17.
Egan Bernal
+ 12'47"
18.
Gregory Brenes
+ 13'25"
19.
Andy Schleck
+ 13'30"
20.
Richard Antonio Carapaz
+ 15'47"
The biggest danger for Taaramäe should be Kritskiy, and while it can be expected that the Russian will overtake Malecki for 2nd place, the Pole will most likely be battling for the final podium spot against Haig - or even Barguil, if the Frenchman pulls off another great show!
But as always, escapees could also shake things up - even though it can't be expected that they will fight for a top GC result. You never know, though...
Before we jump into this final - and decisive - mountain stage, let's take a look at the bookmakers' stage favorites: Taaramäe, Kritskiy and Spilak are on top, as on any stage ending with a mountain-top finish. It will be especially interesting to see if the latter tries a gutsy move to at least get a decent GC finish. Reis then is next on the list - he is probably expected to finally show what he's really capable of! Haig and yesterday's winner Barguil get two stars, too. The list is rounded off by Amador, Shikai, Schleck and Bongiorno.
However, we definitely expect once again a very strong breakaway to form - likely including Roman and Carapaz, who could battle out the KoM standings today! And let's see, maybe a stage win could be in for them, too?
We don't have the most beautiful weather, once again - but at least it's not raining! The bunch has just left the start area, now first heading down the Valle d'Aosta.
The special jersey wearers are still close to the front, so let's just mention them again:
Maglia Rosa
Rein Taaramäe
Maglia Azzurra
Aleksandar Roman
Maglia Ciclamino
Arnaud Demare
Maglia Bianca
Kamil Malecki
Roman makes clear from the start that he wants to be in today's breakaway! He's the first rider to attack, after less than two kilometers already!
Laengen tries again, after yesterday's completely failed attempt which saw him drop from 28th to 50th in the GC. He's trying to catch up with Valls, currently 15th in the GC!
No more Maglia Rosa to defend, so the way's free again for Kruijswijk to attack! Kozhatayev has taken his wheel.
But there were so many riders glued behind this duo that finally they bring the whole pack back to the front - restart!
Now it's Zoidl and Velits launching the second wave of attacks - let's see if the pack lets anyone get clear this time!
And Roman is of course on the move again!
And rightfully so, as Carapaz follows in this group! Besides the Ecuadorian, we have his teammate Appollonio, Crncevic, Garcia Cortina, again Kozhatayev and Valls, Kennaugh - and Reis! He is indeed trying to redeem himself today - the attitude is still fine it seems!
It seems as if ISA - Hexacta aren't too happy about having missed out on these attacks - now Affonso and Ji are seriously chasing!
But it's not only them, as eBuddy soon come up front with four riders as well!
At least one of these teams will stop pushing now, as Vakoc breaks free! We might rather have expected stronger climber Anacona, but the Czech is still in (theoretical) contention for the Maglia Azzurra as well.
OK, eBuddy have reached their goal as well, with Boswell getting clear. Vosekalns is trying to keep up with him.
Now, everybody seems to be happy, as we pretty much have the usual teams sharing the work in the pack - except for Gazelle, who apparently only start chasing when they no longer have the GC lead... Rosskopf, Bibby, Castrillo and Malori are in the first positions.
But all of a sudden, just as we are about to reach Pont-Saint-Martin and therefore the end of the Aosta Valley, Kanter starts pushing really hard! Fortunately, there's no wind today, else that might have been worrying for quite some climbers who don't really like the flat!
After 30 kilometers, we seem to have found our Breakaway of the Day. I say "seem" because the pack hasn't really relented so far, keeping the gap around 2 minutes. But let's assume this indeed are today's escapees.
As we could expect, we have a few really good climbers up front. On paper, the strongest should be Reis - but we all know how he's been doing so far - and it remains to be seen if yesterday's supplementary effort will hurt him today.
Carapaz is very strong on the long ascents, too - which might make him the top favorite for the Maglia Azzurra now. But Roman, although being a slightly weaker climber, will surely fight until the - bitter or sweet - end! And he can count on the support of teammate Kozhatayev, while the Ecuadorian's teammate Appollonio probably only is here to pull on the flat.
Velits once was a great climber, and he's still a decent one - but with his age, he's lacking a bit in terms of physical skills. Something that surely puts teammate Valls in a stronger position - he has to be the team leader anyway, given the current GC.
Vosekalns and Kennaugh are next on the list - both pretty decent uphill riders as well. Both don't have the greatest stamina or resistance, though - let's see if that comes into play, too.
Zoidl, Crncevic, Boswell and Vakoc - the latter duo being among the top puncheurs - will likely struggle against the better climbers, while Garcia Cortina has simply chosen the wrong day for a breakaway attempt. And as already said, Appollonio is here just to help on the flat - he will likely be dropped on the first slopes of the Colle delle Finestre.
Now, what can we say in terms of GC? Kennaugh is the best placed rider in 13th place, being just a minute off the Top 10. Valls, although just two spots behind, trails the Brit by two minutes. Carapaz is 20th, having a two minute gap before and behind him. And Reis, currently 24th, will hope to at least make a Top 20 result, after having lost a lot of time twice. He'd have to gain 6 minutes on Carapaz to do so, though - or 8 minutes on Schleck.
But more interesting than the fight for the GC will likely be the one for the Maglia Azzurra, where we have 1st, 2nd and 4th up front:
1. Roman - 62
2. Carapaz - 60
4. Boswell - 38
Whereas the first two could already secure the jersey on top of Colle delle Finestre, Boswell would need to score on both climbs. Let's wait and see...
And finally, let's give an overview of these 14 riders:
Reis
Carapaz
Velits
Valls
Vosekalns
Roman
Kozhatayev
Zoidl
Kennaugh
Crncevic
Boswell
Vakoc
Garcia Cortina
Appollonio
We still have EA Vesuvio chasing. But they aren't very well organized; one rider just pulls until he's done, then there's the next one doing the same, and so on. Not very smart, to be honest. Currently, we have Kneisky up front.
But the high pace on the flat will definitely not please all the top climbers - several of them might actually already be suffering!
The breakaway is on the first minor incline, near Strambinello. The pack - or rather: EA Vesuvio - have reduced the gap to 1'33". However, it follows a clear scheme: as long as the leading rider really pushes, the gap drops. As soon as he's tired, the gap goes up again, until the next one arrives up front to take over the chase. Really some... interesting tactics.
Up front, we can see Kennaugh, Valls and Carapaz not doing any work, having a teammate in the group as well. However, the Isostar riders both do take turns.
And of course, it has started raining now... Whose dreams will be going down the drain today? And who will get a champagne shower after the stage to wash away the rain?
Jungels has now taken over, with Kanter and Kneisky being already pretty much done. The gap has increased again nonetheless, now hovering around the 2-minutes mark.
At least, they now look a bit more organized. With Afewerki, they're already using the 4th rider for chasing now - only Girdlestone and the three GC riders haven't done any work so far.
However, the chase hasn't been very efficient so far, as the pack's deficit is now 2'32". Which would be enough for Kennaugh to move up to 8th in the GC, as it's pretty close around 10th place!
Boswell was 4th in the points standings before the stage - and he could have moved up to 3rd by winning the intermediate sprint. However, neither him nor Appollonio, who is currently 8th, even tried. Therefore, Zoidl just happens to take maximum points.
Which means that van der Poel remains just one point ahead of Boswell - let's see if the Brit can score on the finish line to finally overtake the Dutchman!
Afewerki leads the peloton across the line 3'03" later - it's not hard to see that both him and Jungels are already pretty tired... Maybe they should just stop chasing and wait for someone else to take over?
While EA Vesuvio don't stop chasing, they are at least joined by Team UBS and Gazelle now! While the former probably want to defend Amador's GC position, it's a bit unclear what the latters' goals are.
At least, the breakaway's lead does decrease, as it's now 2'48". 60 kilometers to go, thereof just 14 (false) flat ones!
The escapees have now arrived in Susa, marking the foot of the Cima Coppi climb up to Colle delle Finestre! They will cross the bridge now, then have a short descent - before tackling the sole HC climb of this Giro d'Italia!
Appollonio leads them on said downhill, while the pack has already arrived in Susa as well! The gap is still 2'32", but if they really chase hard on the climb, this lead could fade away very fast!
And while the escapees are on this short descent, let's take a look at this last brutal climb of the race! The first 10 kilometers of the climb will be on tarmac, then we'll have 8 kilometers of gravel roads. The gradients are high throughout the climb - without any extremely steep slopes, though. But if anyone gets dropped early on, a lot of time will be lost on this incline!
Here we go! Appollonio leads the front group onto the Colle delle Finestre climb - probably the last meters that he'll be leading today.
The picture in the pack has clearly changed as they head into the climb! Moser - Sygic are now setting a horrendous pace already on the lower slopes - what are they planning?
The peloton is trailing by 2'13", having set a really high pace on the flat.
Uh-oh, some riders apparently haven't been very attentive, as Kennaugh and Valls both are in the second group! Boswell, Vakoc, Garcia Cortina and Appollonio are the ones we expected to be dropped early on, though.
Finally, all but Appollonio have made it back to the front group, while the Italian is already caught by Kukrle. The gap is down to 1'28" and could be gone soon - if they don't play the usual games.
Of course, the pack couldn't keep its full headcount when climbing at such a high pace. Dewulf is the first to be dropped - but with only this climb being really long and hard, the time limit shouldn't really be an issue today.
Garcia Cortina has now been dropped as well, while the bunch is geting closer and closer. 1'27" left. But with Carapaz leading the breakaway, the pace has gone up here as well!
EA Vesuvio are already paying the price for the long chase in the valley, with Jungels, Kneisky and Kanter being among the first riders to be left behind by the pack.
It's a bit unexpected that Velits was the next to be shed by the leading group, but he really seems to be suffering from his decline in physical stats. 11 riders remain up front - including his team leader Valls.
And Malecki is still in the first third of the peloton, he seems to have digested yesterday's defeat.
What looks like the peloton is rather the gruppetto, with 55 riders in this outdistanced group. Sendeku or Munoz might be the strongest climbers back here - but with Afewerki and Girdlestone both in this group as well, this means that EA Vesuvio don't have any more "real" helpers left up front, only leaders!
Maglia Ciclamino Demare has let go of the pack, too, just like Martin, Koep or Niu right ahead of him. 93 riders are left in the pack.
According to the climbing stats, Vakoc and Boswell were the next to be dropped - and so it happens. Which is very, very likely the end of the US-American's KoM jersey dreams (if he ever had any). 9 escapees remain ahead, with the pack trailing by just 1'02" now!
Uh-oh, Velits will pay dear for his breakaway effort! Currenlty 28th in the GC, he is already dropped by the pack now and will probably lose a ton of time today!
Campero and Sakalou are surely no slouches on the long inclines, but they still had to let go as well, the pack being down to 86 riders in the meantime.
Haig attacks! The Aussie knows that he has to drop Malecki on this climb if he wants to have a chance for his first ever GT podium - and so he launches an early move! How long have we waited for a gutsy rider to show up!
Meanwhile, the front group has shrunk further! Kennaugh and Zoidl are still more or less within striking distance, while Vosekalns and Maglia Azzurra Roman are gone! The Serb's only hope will be that the whole group will be caught by the pack now - or that Carapaz cracks as well and doesn't arrive on top of the climb in the Top 10!
Haig is indeed just 49" behind the leaders and could catch them - and maybe the pack as well, if they respond to Haig's attack!
Grigrian is now chasing the Australian, with Barguil deciding at the last moment that the time for his attack hasn't come yet. The peloton trails Haig by 33". Zoidl, Vosekalns and Roman currently are with the Bennelong rider.
Attack by Carapaz! With Haig closing in fast, he decides his chances to win that KoM jersey are higher if he tries to stay clear. Reis and Valls are following his move.
For Roman, the fight is over - he now can only wait and hope. Vosekalns and Zoidl are caught as well, while Haig is about to catch up with Crncevic. Kennaugh and Kozhatayev are trying to get back to the leading trio!
The boss himself - Taaramäe - has now taken command, reeling in Crncevic. The peloton is down to 70 riders, and many more are really struggling to keep up!
And we are not even done with half of the climb yet!
14 riders have been dropped lately - among them Anacona and Aru! Which means that the former won't be able to gain any points on top of Colle delle Finestre, while the Italian once again underperforms.
Majka and Ji are in this group as well, and Boswell has already been shed by the pack, too. Costagli is another name that we wouldn't expect to be left behind that early.
Kennaugh has now said goodbye to Kozhatayev and tries to catch up with Carapaz, Reis and Valls on his own. The Kazakh has meanwhile been overtaken by Haig, who has extended his lead on the peloton to 44".
Big split in the pack! And Malecki is on the wrong side of it, just like Bernal! In fact, all Gazelle riders bar Vervaeke have been dropped!
And Roman is in this group as well, definitely losing all hopes of scoring any KoM points today!
The clock is now ticking for Malecki - he has already dropped behind Kritskiy in the GC, and with a gap of 2'16" on Haig, he only keeps a 1'02" advantage at the moment!
Kritskiy has of course gotten notice that Malecki was dropped, and now tries to create a gap large enough that it can't be closed on the downhill anymore! With him remain only 24 riders - this is the current "peloton":
Taaramäe
Kritskiy
Barguil
Shikai
Chiarello
Amador
Spilak
Nesset
Kirsch
Talansky
Faglum Karlsson
Bongiorno
Brenes
Schleck
Wirtgen
Arndt
Iturria
Mager
Teklehaimanot
Ciccone
Salinas
Sergis
Laengen
Vervaeke
Ioannidis
Haig is 57" ahead, the leaders - who have been joined by Kennaugh - 1'33".
The leading quartet arrives on the final 8 kilometers of the climb - and therefore on the gravel roads! Haig and Kozhatayev are closing in, while the peloton is moving quickly as well!
That's it for Gazelle, as Vervaeke is dropped as well! With no more rider left up front - and EA Vesuvio still having three of them - could they even lose the team standings today? Of course, their advantage is huge - but 21 minutes divided by three makes just 7 minutes per rider...
We have another attack by Carapaz! Just as Haig is about to join the head of the race, the Ecuadorian accelerates again - and this time, no-one seems to be able to respond!
Back in the peloton, Kritskiy is setting a very high pace - either he really wants to move as far ahead of Malecki as possible, or he just wants to reel in Haig.
Even EA Vesuvio no longer have three riders up front, with Wirtgen being dropped as well! Salinas, Ciccone, Sergis, Ioannidis, Teklehaimanot, Iturria and Mager are the others who have just lost contact - reducing the pack's headcount to only 16!
Bernal is leading the next group, that includes Malecki as well, trying to close that gap again!
Schleck has been dropped, too! Laengen is with him - meaning that within just a few instants, EA Vesuvio and Grieg-Maersk both are down to one rider up front!
At least, the sun has come through now, which surely makes riding on that gravel much easier!
Let's just take a look at the current timings, to have some kind of an overview:
Carapaz
+ 51"
Reis
Haig
Valls
Kennaugh
Kozhatayev
+ 1'18"
Taaramäe
Kritskiy
Barguil
Shikai
Chiarello
Amador
Spilak
Nesset
Kirsch
Talansky
Faglum Karlsson
Bongiorno
Brenes
Arndt
+ 2'18"
Schleck
Laengen
+ 2'43"
Salinas
Ciccone
+ 2'57"
Iturria
Wirtgen
Teklehaimanot
Ioannidis
Sergis
Mager
+ 3'45"
Group Malecki
37 riders
So Haig has already gained 2'54" on Malecki, and trails only by 24" in the virtual GC now! If the gap continues to grow, even Barguil who's a minute further down could become dangerous for the Pole!
The remainders of the peloton are lined up one after the other - everyone hoping that the guy ahead won't crack! Taaramäe and Kritskiy are sharing the workload up front, and they've almost caught Haig and his four companions now!
Carapaz is still looking good and riding fast, though!
And the pack catches Haig, Kennaugh, Reis, Valls and Kozhatayev! Let's see if they continue the chase now, as Carapaz is still ahead - and has even extended his gap to 1'40"!
But instead of continuing the chase, the pace has clearly dropped in this group! Which allows Laengen and Schleck to re-join, bringing up the headcount to 21.
And Carapaz has extended his lead by another minute - with 3.6km to go, he's almost sure to take the Cima Coppi now!
Salinas and Ciccone have meanwhile made their way back, too, clearly benefitting from the low pace. Which is surprising, as Malecki is closing in as well, trailing only by 1'44" now!
They can just spot Carapaz further up the road - as his lead has now reached 3'16".
Malecki is back! Although he's in the very last position of the group, they have made contact with the peloton again! Can he hold on until the top? Just 2.3 kilomters to go!
Meanwhile, Carapaz arrives on top, taking the prize money for Cima Coppi, maximum KoM points - and the virtual Maglia Azzurra! As Roman is among the riders who haven't returned to the peloton yet, the jersey will probably be secured when the pack crosses the top - we'll see.
But just as important: the Ecuadorian has extended his gap to more than 5 minutes! With just a descent and a rather easy climb to go, he has got great chances of getting a stage win on the final occasion!
Of course, Wirtgen is among those who have returned to the pack - and he's now making the pace for Kirsch and Schleck. Malecki is barely hanging on - but he IS hanging on!
Actually, he WAS hanging on... But with just 800m of climbing left, maybe he can make his way back on the descent?
By the way, right behind of Roman in the KoM jersey, we have Anacona and Aru, who have already gained quite some positions in this stage since they were dropped.
Wirtgen went just as fast as Carapaz on the final kilometer of the climb, and takes 2nd place on Colle delle Finestre. Let's look at the full results:
Which seals the Maglia Azzurra for Carapaz! Roman will remain 2nd, no matter what (except if he should miss the time limit...), while Faglum Karlsson and Wirtgen, who have moved up to 4th and 5th, could still reach the podium! The Swede would need at least 4th place at the finish line, the Luxembourger at least 3rd.
They ride over the mountaintop 5'12" after Carapaz, who has just done the short counterslope on the downhill.
Malecki has arrived on top as well, about two minutes later than the front of the pack. But he now has 6 teammates waiting for him right ahead - can he close that gap on the downhill? Given that the final climb isn't that hard, that could be worth a GT podium!
Here we have that Gazelle team time trial! The whole team bar Kruijswijk, who was the first to be dropped and is further behind, is now fighting for Malecki's GC position!
But at the front of the pack, Wirtgen is setting a decent pace, too, having cut the gap to Carapaz to just under 5 minutes. 20 kilometers to go, and the suspense is up!
Gazelle are really making it! Shortly after the end of the downhill, on the false flat leading up to Pragelato, they are about to reach the end of the peloton! Great work - and Malecki has now taken back his 2nd place in the virtual GC! Crazy stuff, wow!
But this isn't the end of the stage yet. Although the final climb up to Sestriere isn't a hard one - just over 5% of average slopes - it's still 9km long and needs to be done before finally celebrating anything!
However, it is clear that it will take some attacks to open a gap to Malecki again. And let's not forget that Kritskiy is still just over a minute behind Taaramäe - although the Estonian looked absolutely in control so far, even he might eventually have a bad day and crack!
Carapaz is now entering the officially categorized part of the climb - as the road has been ascending since he reached the end of the downhill.
Although he has lost almost a minute since he won the KoM sprint on Colle delle Finestre, 4'32" should be enough of an advantage on this rather easy climb!
The peloton - now containing 60 riders - is on the final climb as well now! They can see pretty far up the valley - and they see Carapaz about 2km further ahead. Wirtgen and Schleck are now setting the pace - let's see if Kirsch is planning an attack!
Only 5 kilometers remaining for Carapaz, who has lost almost no time so far on this ascent! He will definitely hope for no attacks to happen behind - but even if they did, 4'20" should definitely be enough to win this stage!
And the pack is still together under the 5km arc, still led by EA Vesuvio. If Haig wants to have a shot at that GC podium, he'd rather attack soon! The same holds for Kritskiy, if he wants to get at least the 2nd place! An he'll never know if Taaramäe might crack if he doesn't even try!
But instead, it's Spilak attacking now! Of course, he'd love to gain a few spots to at least somehow salvage this GT - and maybe even win a stage? This sounds pretty unlikely, but you never know...
Meanwhile, stage leader Carapaz has already entered the 3 final kilometers! He can vaguely discern the red kite hidden by the trees - and even the finish line is already in sight! 4 minutes for 3 kilometers - he can't lose that one, can he?
Malecki is dropped again! Spilak's acceleration was just too much for the young Pole, who has to let go with 4 kilometers remaining! Whereas he probably knows he won't be able to defend his 2nd place against Kritskiy - if the pack doesn't slow down again - chances are absolutely intact that he'll lose less than 3'18" to Haig, which would make him keep 3rd place!
Schleck is now trying to chase down Spilak, but he eventually has to fold! How much time can the Slovene gain on the peloton? He needs only 9" to overtake Amador in the GC - but one more minute to pass Chiarello!
Kritskiy has taken over from Schleck, trying to catch up with Spilak. More and more riders are dropped - and we're told that Malecki is already 1'44" behind, having lost more than half of his advantage on Haig!
Fiamma Rossa for Carapaz, who's now riding right in the sun's direction! Although Spilak is closing in very fast, he still has a gap of 2'28" - that has to be enough for the final 1,000 ascending meters of this Giro d'Italia!
More and more riders are shed by the pack - including Brenes! But some more big names are in this group, as we can spot Valls, Kennaugh, Schleck, Reis and Aru as well!
Wirtgen is even further back, right behind Teklehaimanot.
Meanwhile, Malecki is still 1'45" behind Haig - it's looking pretty good for the Pole with less than three kilometers to go!
The pack, led by Kritskiy, has now reached the final 1,500 meters as well! In this group are:
Kritskiy
Haig
Taaramäe
Barguil
Nesset
Kirsch
Amador
Shikai
Laengen
Talansky
Faglum Karlsson
Bongiorno
Chiarello
Arndt
Anacona
Especially the last name is quite a surprise, given that he was dropped very early on Colle delle Finestre - and now is in the Top 20 of the stage!
This group is still trailing Spilak by 34", while Carapaz is another 2 minutes ahead - and will surely win this stage!
Taaramäe has now taken control under the red kite, pulling Barguil, Haig and Kritskiy with him - meaning we now have the Top 5 of the GC bar Malecki riding away from the rest! They surely deserve their top places!
Meanwhile, Malecki now really seems to have cracked - as he's 3'07" down! Only 11" of advantage left on Haig, who is on the move! Will he really lose that GC podium on the very last climb?
We'll surely find out, but for now, let's applaud Richard Antonio Carapaz, who wins today's stage after a 35km solo ride! After his 2nd place in Madonna di Campiglio on stage 15, he now gets an amazing win - the second for his team after Appollonio took home stage 2! Congratulations to another first-time GT stage winner!
Spilak is still holding onto his small gap on the attackers led by Taaramäe, aiming at least at a stage podium now!
And it looks good for the Slovene with just 500m to go, as Taaramäe now seems to be fading! Barguil, Haig and Kritskiy are with the Estonian, still a few meters ahead of the rest of the former peloton.
Shikai, Nesset, Amador, Kirsch, Laengen, Talansky, Chiarello, Faglum Karlsson, Bongiorno and Arndt are still there, while Anacona has finally been dropped.
In the meantime, Malecki has now reached the 2km mark, still accompanied by many of his teammates - but they'd like to go faster! However, their youngster doesn't seem to have much left in the tank - this could be heartbraking in the end!
300 meters left for Spilak, while Taaramäe seems to be riding away from Barguil, Haig and Kritskiy!
Simon Spilak indeed takes 2nd place, crossing the line 1'24" after Carapaz. It won't be much of a consolation for the defending champion, who definitely lost this race on stage 4 already. He at least made it into the Top 10 - but that can't be enough for him. And it remains an open question why he only attacked today, proving that he can even hold a group of chasers at bay!
Rein Taaramäe then takes the final podium spot of the day - his 4th of the race. Although he didn't win a single stage, he seals his overall win today - barring any disaster tomorrow!
While the Estonian is clocked 1'39" behind Carapaz, Haig, Kritskiy and Barguil are sprinting for 4th - and at least the Aussie is fighting for every second!
It's Warren Barguil who takes 4th, while we have a photo-finish between Timofey Kritskiy and Jack Haig! Our results list says that the Russian was ahead - but as the bonus seconds are already gone anyway, this doesn't have much importance.
Much more important is the fact that they do get the same time as Taaramäe, i.e. + 1'39". The clock is now ticking for Malecki, who needs to cross the line at 4'55" to defend at least the 3rd place in the GC - while Kritskiy will move up to 2nd in 38" already.
Laengen has to let go on the final meters, but he surely did a good race today after yesterday's stupid time loss!
Up front, Shikai is in the pole-position for 7th, ahead of Nesset, Kirsch, Amador, Talansky and Chiarello.
Faglum Karlsson, Bongiorno and Arndt then have a small gap.
Chen Shikai indeed takes 7th, thereby confirming his 6th place in the GC. He is 1'58" back, and therefore 34" behind Spilak. Chiarello was 1'12" ahead of the Slovenian - who has already overtaken Amador by now - meaning that he still has 26" to cross the line to keep his 7th GC place.
And he does, as this group gets the same time as Shikai. Sigurd Nesset outpsrints Alex Kirsch and Andrei Amador, who rounds off the Top 10 of the day.
Andrew Talansky takes 11th - and ends up with exactly the same overall time as Kirsch! The Luxembourger is ranked ahead, though. William Chiarello then has to settle for 12th.
The officials are pretty generous today, as Marcus Faglum Karlsson, Francesco Bongiorno and Nikias Arndt - taking 13th to 15th - are getting the same time as well, i.e. + 1'58".
The gap to Vegard Stake Laengen was obvious, however, and so the Norwegian loses 2'34" today.
Brenes is now fighting for 17th - meaning he'll likely defend his Top 20 GC position.
Gregory Brenes indeed wins this sprint, ahead of Jonathan Salinas and Tim Kennaugh. Rafael Valls is the final rider in today's Top 20.
This group is 2'49" behind Carapaz - Malecki still has slightly more than two minutes to finish this stage!
But first, we have Kozhatayev, Aru and Anacona - who cracked really hard in the end! 3 minutes flat for this group.
Schleck definitely didn't have the best of days, taking only 24th today. He outsprints Ciccone and Reis, who both were part of today's breakaway. They lose 3'44" - the clock is ticking relentlessly...
And it's even 3'58" for Sergis and Sivakov - in a minute we'll know the podium of the 2020 Giro d'Italia!
Teklehaimanot crosses the line at 4'20"...
...with Iturria and Wirtgen arriving after 4'43"! Only 14 seconds left, and Malecki still has several hundred meters to go - I'm afraid that won't work out for the Pole!
And indeed, as Mager and Bernal ride over the line 5'36" behind the stage winner, we can confirm that Haig climbs up to 3rd in the GC!
However, Malecki is at the very end of this group, and we have some gaps that are potentially big enough to give him an even bigger deficit! Remember that Barguil was 4'29" behind the Pole pre-stage - meaning that Malecki has to arrive at the line at 6'08" or he'll even drop down to 5th!
Here he is - and his teammates once again didn't really take care, opening a gap to Malecki! He crosses the line 6'21" later than the stage winner!
However, the timekeepers are extremely generous with him, awarding him the same time as Mager, i.e. 5'36"! Hence, the Pole will claim 4th in the GC - which must feel like the end of the world right now! He led the race for 15 stages, dropped down to 2nd yesterday - and now lost the GC podium on the last ascent of the race. What a tragedy for him!
However, someone else will also be very unhappy tonight: Roman. He got everything right today, joining the breakaway - but he was finally caught and even dropped by the pack before the decisive KoM sprint. Carapaz was simply stronger today and surely deserves that jersey.
Do you want to see another loser? Velits was among the Top 30 in the GC this morning - and now drops to 52nd after a completely failed breakaway attempt.
But now let's stop talking of losers, as everyone made the time limit. And let's head over to the stage, where the victory ceremony is about to start!
Ladies and gentlemen, here's the winner of the final mountain stage of the 2020 Giro d'Italia - here is Richard Antonio Carapaz! He joined the breakaway this morning, having a clear goal in mind: winning the KoM jersey! And as the pack came dangerously close to the escapees, the Ecuadorian decided to attack with 35 kilomters to go! And he went all the way to the finish line, taking his first ever GT stage win - congratulations again!
Simon Spilak finally claims his first stage podium as well - unfortunately, he won't get any more, as the race ends tomorrow with a flat stage. He showed that he is still there, and that he's still strong - which looks promising for the rest of the season, even though this won't be much of a consolation for a failed GT.
Rein Taaramäe is clearly on the opposite side, as he pretty much sealed his first ever Giro win with today's result! He was always in control, and finally won the sprint from the chasing group, getting a fourth podium in this race - great job!
He had a dream: winning one more GT, completing the career GT-slam - and it really looks like he's done it! After all the topographical difficulties are behind the riders, Rein Taaramäe leads the race, 1'23" ahead of Timofey Kritskiy. With only 185.7 flat kilometers to go, he should really have this one "in the bag"!
Jack Haig must also be one of the happiest men on earth right now! After launching an early attack and dropping Malecki on the Colle delle Finestre, it looked like he'd easily claim this final podium spot - but after being reeled in, the pace dropped and the Pole came back. However, Haig was strong enough to keep up with the best on the final climb, while Malecki had to pay for all his previous efforts - and misses out on what likely was the greatest chance of his career. Congratulations to the Aussie, and commiserations to Malecki!
Just like yesterday, let's take a look at the current (and probably final) Top 20, including the gained and lost spots today:
1.
Rein Taaramäe
87h35'33"
0
2.
Timofey Kritskiy
+ 1'23"
1
3.
Jack Haig
+ 4'01"
1
4.
Kamil Malecki
+ 4'42"
2
5.
Warren Barguil
+ 5'14"
0
6.
Chen Shikai
+ 6'30"
0
7.
William Chiarello
+ 7'23"
0
8.
Simon Spilak
+ 7'49"
1
9.
Andrei Amador
+ 8'26"
1
10.
Sigurd Nesset
+ 9'30"
0
11.
Alex Kirsch
+ 10'12"
0
12.
Andrew Talansky
+ 10'12"
0
13.
Tim Kennaugh
+ 11'17"
0
14.
Marcus Faglum Karlsson
+ 11'40"
0
15.
Francesco Bongiorno
+ 13'05"
1
16.
Rafael Valls
+ 13'19"
1
17.
Richard Antonio Carapaz
+ 13'56"
3
18.
Gregory Brenes
+ 14'43"
0
19.
Andy Schleck
+ 15'43"
0
20.
Egan Bernal
+ 16'52"
3
No rider entered the Top 10 and the Top 20 today, hence no-one dropped out, either. Carapaz is among the winners of the last two days, gaining 5 spots - while Bernal dropped by the same amount. However, most unlucky about his losses will surely be Malecki...
It was already clear pre-stage that Arnaud Demare would defend the Maglia Ciclamino today - as he had a 42 points advantage with only 30 points on offer today. Rein Taaramäe gained 15 of them, confirming his 2nd place - but he still trails by 27 points. If tomorrow was a hilly stage, the Frenchman might still be a bit afraid, but now with a pan-flat stage he really can't lose that jersey anymore!
Warren Barguil has moved up to 3rd, thanks to his 4th place on today's stage. He has 103 points - and definitely could drop some spots tomorrow, with many sprinters less than 20 points down on him. Taaramäe could be overtaken if Kennaugh wins the stage - which is not too unlikely, though! We'll see - at least there's still some suspense for the podium spots!
We then have no more supsense concerning the Maglia Azzurra, as no more points are on offer. Richard Antonio Carapaz maybe did the ride of his life today - getting first the Cima Coppi including the definitive KoM jersey win, and then even the icing on the cake with the stage win! He really rode a perfect stage, deservedly winning the Maglia Azzurra - congratulations!
The only reproach that could be addressed to Aleksandar Roman is not having tried to join the breakaway yesterday. Today, he was just where he had to be - but Carapaz was simply stronger. He could not do more than what he did and has to settle for 2nd, after putting in a lot of effort and a great fight!
And despite not having scored on the last two days, Winner Anacona stays in 3rd place. He surely is pretty lucky to do so - but with no-one else seriously targetting the jersey, we now have this outcome.
Of course, we still get to see Kamil Malecki on the podium! After having cracked on the Colle delle Finestre, and being written off by pretty much everyone, he capitalized on the peloton's slowdown by coming back by the end of the descent! On the final ascent, no big enough time gaps to endanger the Maglia Bianca were possible, and so he will very, very likely win this jersey! Congratulations!
Egan Bernal in 2nd place finished the stage in the same group as Malecki, while Tom Wirtgen gained 53" on them. Which was by far not enough to move up, so the Luxembourger stays 3rd.
The best young rider of the day was however Sivakov - who is only 11th overall, though.
And last but not least, the team standings! Sure, Gazelle suffered quite a lot today, with the top favorites finally attacking a bit more. They only are 11th of the day, losing almost 8 minutes on today's top team Generali.
However, they easily defend the first place, stilll 16'04" ahead of EA Vesuvio, and 18'30" ahead of... Aegon - Peroni! It was however a really close call for 3rd, as home team Generali are only 38" down, almost kicking the Dutch outfit off the podium.
And with this, it's pretty much all said and done. We've seen a gutsy attack by Haig on the Colle delle Finestre, followed by an amazing comeback by Malecki. Carapaz outhsone everyone else today by taking the KoM jersey and the stage win, while Kritskiy and Haig finally dropped Malecki again, both overtaking him in the GC.
Tomorrow, we have one last day - and one last chance for the sprinters! However, 13 out of 18 mass-start stages so far went to the breakaway, so a Sprint Royale can't be taken for granted tomorrow! Tune in to find out!
Giro d'Italia 
