Two mountain stages have produced two back to back breakaway wins leading to big jumps in the GC for the breakaway incumbents. Today is the last mountain stage of the race and one that will surely decide the GC. On that front, we haven't had much action in the last couple of stages, and Dombrowski was in fact able to increase his lead a the top yesterday. Can Haig muster a strong enough challenge to take back the Maglia Rosa which he lost on Stage 13? Today's stage is probably the hardest stage of the entire race, and there is hardly any respite for the riders as they keep going up an down climbs right till the summit finish!
Favourites
MT
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
AC
DH
FL
FT
PR
Dombrowski
84
75
71
80
78
78
75
72
70
67
71
Haig
82
74
77
76
75
78
73
67
72
70
77
Rodrigues
81
73
74
73
75
77
72
68
66
70
74
Galta
81
73
73
78
79
77
66
70
69
66
71
Carthy
81
75
67
77
76
78
69
65
71
65
65
Godoy
81
76
67
75
76
77
75
68
68
71
67
Hirt
81
74
73
77
79
79
76
67
70
74
73
Shikai
81
71
76
74
76
78
67
69
72
59
76
Bennett
81
76
65
75
74
79
73
63
67
55
65
Some big names have made it to the break once more: Shikai (11th, 7'18" ) Pinot (14th, 13'12", KOM 7th, 46 points) Giannoutsos (7th, 4'34", KOM 5th, 50 points), Mavrikakis (18th) Foss (13th, 10'33" ) Gregaard (21st) Chamorro (KOM 3rd, 53 points) Bouchard (20th) Mamykin (15th, 13'44" )
There are a few more riders trailing the lead group on the first climb - Rodrigues (12th, 10'33" ), Vingegaard, Bongiorno (23rd), Rivera. They are 44 seconds behind. Conti is further back, just over 90 seconds behind.
Van Baarle is dropped from E2 12 km from the summit, caught by E3 and dropped again!
Rivera is dropped from E2 a few kilometers later.
2 km from the summit, Bouchard, Mamykin, Giannoutsos, Mavrikakis and Chamorro are dropped from the lead group.
Foss and Gregaard are also dropped a kilometer later.
Shikai wins the first KOM, followed by Pinot, Gregaard, Foss, Giannoutsos, Mavrikakis and Chamorro, in that order.
The seven getting KOM points are back together after the descent.
Mavrikakis wins the intermediate sprint, ahead of Chamorro, Gregaard, Pinot and Shikai.
On the road, Bouchard and Mamykin are next, followed by Rodrigues and Vingegaard in E3. The gap from E1 to E3 is around a minute. The rest are scattered on their own while Van Baarle has been caught already.
The front three groups come together 8 km from the summit of the second KOM. The peloton trail by 7 minutes which puts Giannoutsos into the GC lead!
Vingegaard and Rodrigues are dropped again 5 km from the summit.
Bouchard, Mavrikakis and Chamorro are dropped next.
Foss and Gregaard are dropped a kilometer from the summit.
Pinot wins the second KOM and takes the lead in the classification! Next through are Shikai, Giannoutsos, Gregaard, Foss, Chamorro and Mavrikakis.
Conti, Rivera and Bongiorno have been caught by the peloton.
6 km from the summit of the third climb, Amezawa attacks from the pack! The move didn't last long.
Giannoutsos wins the KOM ahead of Shikai, Pinot, Gregaard and Foss.
The dropped riders didn't make it back this time though.
Shikai drops the other two 3 km from the summit of the fourth climb.
Shikai wins the fourth KOM. The order behind him is Pinot, Giannoutsos, Mamykin, Gregaard, Foss and Mavrikakis. Chamorro and Vingegaard have been caught by the pack.
The pack trail Shikai by 11'44" and Giannoutsos by 8 minutes, which keeps the latter as the GC leader and former up into second!
Shikai has pulled out a lead of 4 minutes over the next two as he wins the next KOM as well. Pinot, Giannoutsos, Gregaard and Foss, in that order, pick up points.
The gap for the peloton has reduced to 10'30" to the lone leader and to 6 minutes to Giannoutsos.
Bouchard has been caught
Shikai wins the sixth KOM. His lead over the next duo is 6'30" and 13 minutes over the peloton! This puts Shikai into the overall lead with Giannoutsos now 2nd in the standings. Pinot, Giannoutsos, Mamykin, Gregaard, Foss is the order at the KOM for 2nd onwards.
Bennett attacks from the pack with 12 km to go.
Amezawa and Mavrikakis have been dropped from the peloton.
Just a kilometer to go for Shikai though! Could this really be happening in a Grand Tour?
And Shikai wins with no one in sight! It is now a long wait to see when those ahead of him in the GC finish.
With a km to go, Giannoutsos, Pinot, Gregaard and Bennett have together to form the next group.
Bennett powers away to take 2nd on the day. He too will move up in the GC. He's already past 7 minutes to Shikai!
Mamykin finishes strongly for 3rd, ahead of Giannoutsos and Pinot.
Gregaard is 6th.
Foss is 7th.
Rodrigues is 8th.
Dombrowski pulls away again to claim 9th, and another few seconds...
...over Haig, who ends up 10th today. But all this seems inconsequential because of what has transpired ahead of them today! Godoy is 11th.
Then it's Carhy and Galta for 12th and 13th.
Hirt is 14th, followed by Stussi.
Mas is a lonesome 16th.
Johannessen is 17th.
Rybalkin, Champoussin and Zimmermann complete the Top 20.
Today's winner - Chen Shikai.
WOW! There are breakaway rides, there are breakaway wins and then there's this! To get into the right break, leave everyone behind on arguably the hardest stage of a Grand Tour and to claim the GC at the end of it! Chen Shikai rides into the history books with perhaps the greatest breakaway ride in MG history.
Bennett climbs up to 4th with his successful late attack, behind Dombrowski and Haig, the two GC favourites who have been at the top of the standings since Stage 6. The GC leaders and their teams have been playing a risky game the last couple of stages, allowing strong breaks to stay away and doing just enough to keep their places at the top but it backfired massively today with the constant climbing and descending on the shortish stage not allowing a sustained chase. Giannoutsos also rides his way up to 5th today, ahead of Hirt. Godoy, Stussi, Galta and Carthy make up the Top 10.
Huge changes in the KOM as well with Pinot confirming the win today, while Giannoutsos and Shikai move up to the other podium spots. Mamykin also makes an improvement.
There are no changes at the top of the other classifications today. 12 riders missed the time limit.
