Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe) edged out Romain Bardet (Team DSM) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) by a few centimetres, with Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) close behind, making it a very uncertain Giro d’Italia that still has everything to say.
If the first seven riders in the general classification are within 30 seconds and the first three within 14 (this is the smallest gap on stage 9 since 2001) it means that we are still a long way from the climax of this Corsa Rosa. And, frankly, all the better for it!
This, moreover, is likely to open up some interesting scenarios for the second week, because the next stage with important mountains will be the 15th, i.e. Sunday 22 May, and the various GC leaders, if they don’t want to stroll around for a week, will have to try to force their way through the medium-difficulty stages as well. They will have to move with intelligence and tactical sagacity, because at this point in the race every detail could make the difference.
Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Wilco Kelderman (Bora-hansgrohe) and, above all, Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco), one of the big favourites on the eve of the race, are out of the picture for the Maglia Rosa. Juanpe Lopez held on to the leader’s jersey. BikeExchange was betting everything on him and, instead, for the fifth year in a row, Yates has to say goodbye to dreams of glory.
On today’s climbs Carapaz, Landa and Bardet appeared slightly – very slightly – superior, but Almeida, Hindley himself and Pozzovivo responded very, very well, and a stoic Lopez is still in Maglia Rosa.
An attack from Carapaz was expected to shatter everyone but in the end the Australian from Abruzzo popped up.
Stage 9 results
1.Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) 5:34:44
2.Romain Bardet (DSM) s.t
3.Richard Carapaz (Ineos-Grenadiers) s.t
General Classification after stage 9
1.Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 37:52:01
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +12’’
- 3.Romain Bardet (DSM) +14’’
