The Dolomites awaited the peloton with some stunning scenery and gruelling gradients.
The penultimate day of the race was peppered with five classified climbs – Cima Campo, Passo Manghen, Passo Rolle, Croce d’Aune and Croce d’Aune – Monte Avena – and accumulated nearly 6000 vertical meters, making it one of the toughest Grand Tour stages in recent memory. To add to the difficulty of this leg that started from Feltre, a small town in the province of Belluno visited by the bunch also on Friday, during the trek to San Martino di Castrozza, a fast and nervous start to the stage left the peloton decimated.
What should have been a large maglia rosa group numbered just 40 riders on the slopes of the first climb, where a breakaway took shape. Eros Capecchi responded present in the 12-man group that got to stay in the front until the valley between Passo Manghen – this year’s Cima Coppi – and Passo Rolle. After being caught by a reduced favourites’ group and a short moment of respite, Eros was again on the move, going into the second break of the stage.
Fifth in Pinerolo last week, the 32-year-old Italian brought his contribution in the group that put some three minutes between them and the chasers, before succumbing on the tough double-digit gradients of Croce d’Aune. That didn’t make Eros’ effort less impressive, as the Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider – who at this edition of his home Grand Tour clocked in some 400 kilometers in the break – made his way to the finish, once again concluding as the team’s highest-ranked rider and making a leap of two places in the overall standings.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images
