From San Martino di Castrozza, the finishing mountain of stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, there are striking views of what is called the enrosadira, the process by which the exposed rock of the nearby Dolomite peaks takes on pink and then violet hues as the sun begins to set [Alpenglow]. On Friday evening, with a mammoth Dolomite tappone and the Verona time trial still to come, the final picture of this Giro will remain incomplete, but one might begin to discern the tones in which it will be painted.
The 151km leg from Treviso is very much the junior partner of the two mountain stages that remain, but the category 2 haul towards the finish provides a chance for a further skirmish between the contenders for overall victory and should offer some decent pointers as to their prospects in the race’s final weekend.
Richard Carapaz (Movistar) carries the maglia rosa into the final three days of the race, and he has thus far betrayed no signs of weakness, on the bike or off it. He responded sagely to the probing of Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) on the Civiglio and Mortirolo, and then tacked on an attack of his own at Anterselva to extend his overall lead for good measure.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Ecuadorian has appeared utterly unfazed by the media demands of wearing the jersey, too, smilingly fending away questions about his cohabitation with Mikel Landa at Movistar and his rumoured departure for pastures new in 2020. This time four years ago, the man from Tulcán was riding for the Strongman-Campagnolo outfit in Colombia, but he carries himself with the quiet unflappability of a man who has been leading Grand Tours all his life.
Nibali, second overall at 1:54, and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), a further 22 seconds back in third, know now if they didn’t at Ceresole Reale and Courmayeur, that Carapaz will be an exceedingly tough out.
And yet, the dying days of the Giro are different to just about anything else in professional cycling, a twilight zone where a pink jersey’s legs or luck can suddenly desert him or, conversely, where his rivals have remarkably summoned up hitherto unseen strength to bring the race abruptly crashing down upon him.
The route
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/dolomite-antipasto-giro-ditalia-approaches-crunch-point-at-san-martino-di-castrozza
No comments:
Post a Comment