Giro d'Italia: Valverde Soars to Stage Victory & Stage 17 Preview

Stage 16 Review

Three categorised climbs scattered themselves on the shortest route of the Giro with only 132km. It would induce a frantic and aggressive race after coming back from a rest day.

Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) tried to gap the Maglia Rosa early on the second climb of the day but couldn’t shake Kruijswijk from LottoNL.

Chaves slid out the back of the group of favorites as the pace lifted in the final 15km where Nibali’s chances of making time on the current leaders was squash. Valverde hit out with only Kruijswijk and Zakarin able to match the speed of the attack away from the group.

A chase group made up of Roche and Henao from Sky, Atapuma and Fuglsang. Photo by Sirotti

Valverde opened up his sprint to the line but Zakarin couldn’t muster the power and let the pink jersey chase Valverde down for second place on the stage. Nibali lost another minute on the GC leaders and now sits in fourth overall.

It is Valverde’s first ever Giro d’Italia stage win of his career and he now sits in third position on the GC list behind Chaves and a dominating Kruijswijk.

Zakarin, Kruijswijk and Valverde on their final attack to the line in Andalo. Valverde bid his time on the back of the trio before the final sprint to the line. Photo by Sirotti

Stage 16 Podium

1. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) – Movistar Team – 2:58:54
2. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) – Team LottoNl-Jumbo
3. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) – Team Katusha – 0:00:08
4. Diego Ulissi (Ita) – Lampre – Merida – 0:00:37
5. Bob Jungels (Lux) – Etixx – Quick-Step

Mountain Classification after Stage 16

1. Damiano Cunego (Ita) – Nippo – Vini Fantini – 134 pts
2. Stefan Denifl (Aut) – IAM Cycling – 72 pts
3. Darwin Atapuma (Col) – BMC Racing Team – 69 pts

Sprint Classification after Stage 16

1. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) – Team LottoNl-Jumbo – 43 pts
2. Daniel Oss (Ita) – BMC Racing Team – 43 pts
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) – Etixx – Quick-Step – 38 pts

General Classification after Stage 16

1. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) – Team LottoNl-Jumbo – 63:40:10
2. Esteban Chaves (Col) – Orica-GreenEdge – 0:03:00
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) – Movistar Team – 0:03:23
4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) – Astana Pro Team – 0:04:43
5. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) – Team Katusha – 0:04:50
6. Rafal Majka (Pol) – Tinkoff Team – 0:05:34
7. Bob Jungels (Lux) – Etixx – Quick-Step – 0:07:57
8. Andrey Amador (CRc) – Movistar Team – 0:08:53
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) – AG2R La Mondiale – 0:10:05
10. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) – Dimension Data – 0:11:03

Stage 17 – MOLVENO – CASSANO D’ADDA, 196km

The route

The first half of the stage is wavy, while the second half is perfectly flat. The route rolls along moderate undulations all the way up to km 120 (Brescia), where the road eventually levels out. There are a few tunnels in the first part. In the flat sector, the roads are relatively wide and straight, with just a few more curvy stretches. Roundabouts, speed bumps and traffic dividers are the main obstacles typically found in urban areas.

Final kms

The final 5km are perfectly flat, with two mild bends and one (last) turn 600m before the finish, on 7m wide asphalt road. Roundabouts, speed bumps and traffic islands are the main obstacles, throughout the stage course.