Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Race Report: Stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia turned the GC of the Italian Grand Tour upside down. Of the favourites for the final victory, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) was the strongest. The Ecuadorian rode away on the final climb and nearly took the pink jersey from Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates XRG). The Mexican was in trouble and lost time. The stage victory went to Christian Scaroni, ahead of his XDS Astana teammate and KOM, Lorenzo Fortunato.
*** The full ‘PEZ Race Report’ very soon. ***
The rider’s will be glad of the rest day, as stage 16 has the most amount of climbing of this year’s Giro d’Italia. With five Alpine mammoth climbs, the GC should get a good shake up over the 5,000 metres of climbing.
After 67 kilometres and the La Fricca climb, there are no flat roads. Next comes the steeper Candrai climb (10km at 7%), followed by the much easier Cat 3 Vigo Cavedine.
The summit finish of San Valentino
After 150 kilometres and 50 kilometres to go, there is the Santa Barbara (12.7 kilometres at 8.3%), with its steepest sections at 14%. The San Valentino climb from Brentonico it 18.2 kilometres long at an average of 6.2%. It is much harder than it sounds, it is a pass in three sections with steep ramps of up to 14%. The GC contenders will have to bring the top form.
I was a wet start in Fiume Piazzola sul Brenta
The weather changed on Tuesday and the rain poured down at the start. The tough stage kicked-off in very bad weather conditions, but this did not stop the race going at ‘full gas’. In a very nervous first part, there was many attacks. Due to the nervousness in the peloton there was a crash involving Thymen Arensman, but the Dutchman was able to continue. When Arensman came down, Wout van Aert had just attacked. The Belgian instigated a break of 7. He was joined by Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ), Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step) and Xabier Mikel Azparren (Q36.5).
Pink jersey, under the rain jacket, Isaac Del Toro ready for another day
This escape group built up a lead of 45 seconds, despite the many counter-attacks form the peloton. Tarling unluckily slid on a roundabout and crashed into the barrier. The winner of the first time trial was on the ground for a long time and had to abandon the Giro. The break had to do without the horsepower of the time trial specialist, but they started the Carbonare climb with a lead of 2 minutes. That lead was not on the peloton, which wasn’t that interested, but on a chasing group of 18 riders. That group eventually managed to cross on the climb.
Primoz Roglič started stage 16, but didn’t finish due to a crash
Wout van Aert was part of the early break of the day
Gijs Leemreize (Team Picnic PostNL) was one of the strong-men in the escape
Alessio Martinelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane) slid under a barrier and down a ravine. He was rescued and his team say he in hospital and okay after he had passed, but regained consciousness
The sun eventually came out
Watering Can Man?
Simon Yates was watching Del Toro, he would have help form Van Aert
Christian Scaroni and KOM, Lorenzo Fortunato went for the stage win together
Stage winner, Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana): “I’m really happy to win a stage of the Giro d’Italia. Lorenzo Fortunato and I fought very hard and very well. I felt really good when it started to rain at the beginning of the stage. Towards the end, we spoke and decided that I’d take the stage while he was scoring the KOM points. He let me win the stage. I was at the limit in the last kilometre. It was very steep there. In the last climb we dropped the other riders one after the other. We weren’t sure if the Maglia Rosa group or Richard Carapaz would catch us. This victory is for the team. It’s difficult for me to realise that I’ve won a stage of the Giro d’Italia.”
# Stay PEZ for all the Giro news in EUROTRASH Monday and Thursday. #
Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Result:
1. Christian Scaroni (Ita) XDS Astana in 5:35:05
2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana
3. Giulio Pellizzari (Ita) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 0:55
4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 1:10
5. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:23
6. Jefferson Albeiro Cepeda (Ecu) Movistar at 1:43
7. Michael Storer (Aus) Tudor at 1:52
8. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike
9. Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL at 2:19
10. Yannis Voisard (Sui) Tudor at 2:31.
Giro d’Italia Overall After Stage 16:
1. Isaac Del Toro Romero (Mex) UAE Emirates XRG in 61:31:56
2. Simon Yates (GB) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:26
3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost at 0:31
4. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 1:31
5. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain Victorious at 2:40
The post GIRO’25 Stage 16: Stage for Scaroni – Carapaz Blasts the GC appeared first on PezCycling News.
