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news
chris_froome_lapresse.jpgGiro d’Italia Stage 14: Simon Yates narrowly fails to reel in Chris Froome after gruelling battle on the Zoncolan
Chris Froome (Team Sky) just about held off race leader Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) to win stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia after attacking with 4km of the Monte Zoncolan to go. The victory means he has now won at least one stage in each of the three Grand Tours. It was also the second British 1-2 in Giro history after the 2013 time trial in Saltara, when Alex Dowsett edged out Bradley Wiggins.
The 186km mountain stage from San Vito al Tagliamento to Monte Zoncolan had loomed large all week and a Froome attack began to seem more likely when team-mate Wout Poels set to work on the lower slopes.
Zoncolan: The cycling natural stadium | Zoncolan: lo stadio naturale del cliclismo | Zoncolan: el estadio natural del cliclismo #Giro101 #Giro pic.twitter.com/rshpVs8ELf
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 19, 2018
The Dutchman reduced the front group to just a few favourites and shortly after he moved aside, his team leader pushed on, later explaining that he felt that was “the moment the race was really on the limit.”
The gap to Froome’s rivals at one point grew to around 12 seconds, but Yates gave chase and at times seemed as if he might catch and pass his quarry.
In the end the pink jersey finished six seconds back and Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain Merida) was next over the line, 23 seconds down on Froome.
What . A . Ride! @chrisfroome holds off Simon Yates for a sensational win atop Monte Zoncolan #Giro101 pic.twitter.com/aK15s4U1XX
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 19, 2018
Last year’s Giro winner, Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), adopted a steady approach to the climb and conceded 37 seconds. He remains in second place, 1m24s behind Yates, while Froome moves up to fifth, 3m10s behind.
Froome said: “It was a really, really special feeling winning on top of the climb today. Just an amazing feeling on such a monumental climb in this year’s Giro d’Italia; such a monumental climb for the race in general.
“It’s just such a good feeling, especially after a hard start to this race for me and the team. It’s great. The team have supported me so well these last two weeks, so to get the victory really means a lot.”
Commenting on the looming Yates, he added: “Simon was just behind me. I kept on hearing five seconds, ten seconds, five seconds and I didn’t know if he was going to catch me or not, so it was just such a relief to get into that last 100m and to hear that I was going to win the stage.”
That felt good #Zoncolan #Giro2018 #Giro101 @giroditalia pic.twitter.com/AtNpA8rDp3
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) May 19, 2018
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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16 comments
Just because something rhymes doesn't make it true.
Oh really? What about "he who smelt it, dealt it"?
Whoever did the rhyme did the crime.
This is how it goes....
Last year Tdm was underdog, we all rooted for him.
This year he's favourite, so boo this man, boo.
Froome is now the underdog so we can all root for him.
Yates is the same as well.
It's the British way.
Is Froome getting over his accident in the preparation for the Giro? Maybe Yates has a battle on his hands.
Finally watched this, what a stage. Thought Froome had checked out for this race but maybe he can salvage a podium if that form carries on.
That was weird - I found myself cheering Froome on, yelling at the tv and everything. I normally hate him. Much respect for what he did out there today.
T
Wow, you're quite the tool eh!
I found myself in the same position. We can only assume he's doing it as clean as he's ever done it, too.
So you too believe that the most tested athlete on the planet since about 2014 was doping all the other times he was riding?
Sorry but I find your comment not just offensive but without any scrap of evidence.
No. I didn't mean that at all. Rather, in this race, he is under EVEN MORE scrutiny than even he has ever been. Therefore, only an absolute idiot would even think about trying anything illegal. So, we can assume he is clean. Regardless of any assumption of doping previously.
Yes, Its quite clear to me that's what you meant. Certain people on this site thrive on being outraged and offended and love to tell the world all about it.
LOL. Bet you thought that Armstrong was clean too? Hamilton? Simoni? Pantani? Landis? Hell, even Merckx? Kelly? van der Poel?!
If you'd read any of my posts regarding serial dopers like Merckx and the rest you'd know my thoughts.
Nope, I outed my thoughts on Armstrong long before most in the early 2000s when I started getting interested in cycle racing again and was on tinternet, basically I knew he was doping. Having come back from major life saving/life effecting surgery myself I knew it was simply not possible to come back from his situation as he did in that short a timescale without help.
The rest of it and why he was successful was not just the drugs but like Froome down to hard work, determination, preparation and the team focusing solely on one person and pretty much for one race of the season utilising/sacrifising the team for that goal. But Armstrong was doing what all the other top riders were, he just had a better team, was more determined and focussed, this is basically SKY but with stricter controls on what you can do to your body.
I'm not saying that Froome hasn't helped himself to whatever he can get away with, I'm saying that he hasn't overstepped that line as far as the actual rules state (leaving aside the one day he supposedly doped which is patently a load of bollocks).
Any 'unethical' or immoral pushing of the rules or whatever you want to call it is exactly the same as other riders will be pushing to that line of what they can get away with, to think this isn't happening with all the other contenders including Yates is naive at best.
Think about what I said above and why I'm defending Froome as I would actually defend Armstrong given what we know about all the other top cyclists from his and all other eras. We either condemn them all or none.
Hahahaha!!!
"Most tested athlete on the planet"??!!.....Does that quote not remind you of anyone?
If you ain't on the dope; you will not cope.