Giro d’Italia | Live recap stage 18 – Zana beats Pinot on Val di Zoldo, Almeida loses time

This is not a live blog, but we will keep you informed of the latest developments during each stage of the Giro d’Italia 2023. Think of this article as a live recap to smoothly scroll through the highlights. Commentators Jeroen Vanbelleghem and Karsten Kroon regularly summarize the day so far. We do the same here, including videos. You really don’t miss anything!

Zana wins, Almeida loses

Worth gold

Jay Vine almost brings his leader Almeida back to Roglic and Thomas, but they decide to accelerate again. In any case, the differences will not be great today.

Almeida loses after acceleration Kuss

We’re going to climb again!

We started the final climb of the day. The Coi is only 5.5 kilometers long, but due to the average increase of 9.5 percent (!) the favorites can start attacking each other.

Mountain jersey to France

Thibaut Pinot is the first on top of the Forcella Cibiana and definitively takes over the mountain jersey from Ben Healy. We now descend towards the final climb.

INEOS takes over

INEOS Grenadiers takes over at the head of the peloton, as Thibaut Pinot almost virtually rides in the pink jersey. Geraint Thomas doesn’t want to take that much risk either…

BORA in the lead

We suddenly see BORA-Hansgrohe at the head of the peloton. The German formation wants to defend Lennard Kämna’s sixth place. Thibaut Pinot is virtually in fourth place. The lead of the leading group is more than five minutes.

Progress is growing

INEOS drops the pace in the peloton a bit and so the lead of the escapees has grown to 4.5 minutes. So new hope for Pinot and Paret-Peintre.

Strong leading group

A strong group of seven riders has been two minutes ahead of the peloton for a long time. However, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R), Vadim Pronsiky (Astana), Derek Gee, Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech), Filippo Zana (Team Jayco) and Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic) have for now too small a lead to compete for victory.

Pinot is working hard to regain his mountain jersey. The Frenchman is only seven points behind the current leader, Ben Healy.

• 1. Ben Healy – 164 points (+0)
• 2. Thibaut Pinot – 157 points (+43)
• 3. Davide Bais – 144 points (+0)
• 4. Einer Rubio – 118 points (+1)
• 5. João Almeida – 55 points (+0)

Roglic in trouble

Mountain jersey Healy on the way

Jumbo checks

Jumbo-Visma controls the course. The Dutch formation still has seven riders in the peloton, would Primoz Roglic have good legs today?

Big fight for early flight

As expected, a huge fight has erupted to be in the early flight. Bauke Mollema, Ben Healy and Santiago Buitrago, among others, would like to be in the leading group today.

Mollema is going to try

Stage 18

Tribute between Thomas, Almeida and Roglic?

Will the three-way battle between Geraint Thomas, João Almeida and Primoz Roglic continue on Thursday? That is the big question in the run-up to the second serious assignment of the final week of the Giro. The first challenge was too much for Roglic, who had to admit half a minute. This while Almeida was able to keep up with Thomas and even won the sprint on Monte Bondone.

It will be fascinating, interesting and hopefully also fun to see how the relationships are in this four-star ride. One star less than the first mountain stage, but adding the Coi to the course looks promising. This climb has outliers with strips of up to 19 percent.

Climbing the Coi does not mean the end of the eighteenth stage. On the contrary. After a short descent, you have to climb even further, to Val di Zoldo. Differences can definitely be made again. If only the GC guys feel like it. Surely it will…?

WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING?

The duel Roglic vs. INEOS-Grenadiers in the Giro d’Italia now seems to be a battle between Thomas, Almeida and Roglic! Don’t miss a second of this match via Eurosport and discovery+.