If you haven’t already, follow the links to check out our photos from stages 1 to 3 and stages 4 to 9 of the race.
When the riders returned to racing after the second rest day Cadel Evans (BMC) was in the leaders’ pink jersey ahead of a flat 173km stage. Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr) showed he was the strongest remaining sprinter in the race, taking out his third stage win while Evans retained the maglia rosa.
On stage 11 Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) continued what has been a dominant display from the Australians in the Giro so far, attacking on a descent with 20km to go and managing to stay away for the first Grand Tour stage victory in his long career. Back in the chase group Evans held on to the overall lead, but not for long.
The stage 12 ITT was supposed to suit Cadel Evans over all his rivals and while he managed to gain time on the likes of Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale) the day belonged to Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-QuickStep). The Colombia put in an amazing effort to win by more than a minute and take the maglia rosa off Evans.
Stage 13 was, on paper, a textbook sprinters’ stage. A break would head up the road, the sprinters teams would reel it back in and then the fastmen would do their job. But a lack of organisation back in the main field saw three riders from the day’s main escape stay away with Marco Canola (Bardiani-CSF) sprinting to victory. Uran held on to the overall lead after finishing in the bunch.
Stage 14 was the first day in the high mountains and it didn’t disappoint. Enrico Battaglin made it back-to-back stage wins for the Bardiani-CSF squad after a huge comeback on the day’s final climb. Meanwhile Rigoberto Uran appeared to falter slightly, losing five seconds to Cadel Evans in the dying metres of the stage.
Yesterday’s 15th stage of the race was another one for the climbers and like the previous stage, stage 15 more than delivered on expectations of fireworks on the final ascent. After attacks from just about all of the big-name climbers in the race it was Fabio Aru (Astana) who made his move and took an impressive victory while Uran extended his overall lead to more than a minute over Cadel Evans.
And so, with six stages left in this year’s Giro, the race is nicely poised. Uran has a comfortable lead but with three summit finishes and a mountain-climb ITT remaining, just about anything could happen.
- Nacer Bouhanni sprints to his third stage victory of the race on stage 10, ahead of Giacomo Nizzolo. Michael Matthews was third.
- Cadel Evans is easily identifiable by the combination of yellow shoes and BMC socks, not to mention the pink bartape.
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- Chris Juul Jensen plays pack mule for his teammates on stage 11.
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- Andrey Zeits gets some attention after crashing on stage 11.
- Pieter Serry also crashed on stage 11 …
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- … as did Chris Anker Sorensen.
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- Michael Rogers made a daring escape on the final descent on stage 11 and was able to hold off the peloton.
- The win is Rogers’ first at a Grand Tour.
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- Another day in pink for Cadel Evans after finishing safely in the bunch.
- The stage 12 ITT gets underway in Barbaresco.
- Michael Hepburn (Orica-GreenEdge) was resplendent in the green and gold of the Australian national ITT champion.
- Dual stage winner Diego Ulissi rode a very impressive ITT to finish second behind …
- … Rigoberto Uran, who set off second last.
- Cadel Evans sets off for the stage 12 ITT, a stage he went into as one of the favourites.
- Cadel enjoyed plenty of support out on course, including from roving superfan Crikey Cadel (bottom right).
- Uran went on to win the ITT by more than a minute, taking the overall lead from Cadel Evans.
- Edoardo Zardini signs on for the start of stage 13.
- The many Colombian riders in the race have enjoyed great support throughout the Giro, and the fans haven’t been disappointed so far.
- A brief hailstorm on stage 13 saw the organisers neutralise the peloton for a couple hundred metres.
- Marco Canola took the spoils on stage 13, sprinting away from his two breakaway companions on a stage that really should have been won by the sprinters.
- Rigoberto Uran awaits the start of stage 14 alongside his compatriot Julian Arredondo who wears the blue jersey of the leader of the mountains classification.
- Nacer Bouhanni wears the red sprinters jersey having taken three stage wins.
- Stage 14 saw the riders head into the high mountains for the first time.
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- Cadel Evans sticks to the back wheel of Rigoberto Uran on the final climb to Oropa. Evans would go on to attack just before the finish, gaining five seconds on Uran.
- Enrico Battaglin comes from nowhere to roll Dario Cataldo on the line. Both riders had been part of the early breakaway and while Cataldo had attacked and was at the head of affairs on the final climb, Battaglin was nowhere to be seen … until the final kilometre.
- Stage 14 took its toll on many riders …
- … including Nairo Quintana who finished 15th, more than 2:30 behind Battaglin.
- Stage 15 was another day in the high mountains.
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- Adam Hansen, riding his eighth consecutive Grand Tour, was in the day’s main breakaway and attacked as soon as they reached the final climb. Despite marking many attacks from his companions the Australian wasn’t able to hang on and eventually finished 23rd on the stage.
- Phil Deignan enjoyed some support as he lead the race on the final climb.
- Fabio Aru made his move in the final kilometres of the race and went on to win, confirming his potential as a star of the future.
- Ryder Hesjedal was yo-yoing off the back of the lead group on the final climb and eventually finished ninth, 1:13 behind Aru.
- Rigoberto Uran celebrates after extending his lead on Cadel Evans. Going into the final rest day he now leads by 1:03 and will wear the maglia rosa for a fourth day when the race resumes on Tuesday.