Christian Scaroni of XDS Astana clinched victory in a thrilling finish at stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia, leading his teammate Lorenzo Fortunato in an impressive one-two finish on a challenging mountain stage. The duo broke away during the final ascent of Passo San Valentino after surviving an earlier breakaway, with Fortunato, wearing the blue jersey for the mountains classification, graciously allowing Scaroni to take the win.
Completing an all-Italian podium, Giulio Pellizzari from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe secured third place, notably on a day marked by adversity as his team leader, Primož Roglič, crashed out of the race.
This stage significantly impacted the general classification. Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates-XRG maintained the pink jersey despite Richard Carapaz from EF Education-EasyPost moving up the rankings after a strong attack. Carapaz’s performance on this day brought him closer to the lead, now just 31 seconds behind Del Toro. Simon Yates from Visma-Lease a Bike lost time to Carapaz but gained on Del Toro, tightening the competition as they entered the final week of the Giro.
As the race took on the high mountains, riders faced inclement weather and treacherous conditions, leading to several incidents, including the crash of Ineos Grenadiers’ Josh Tarling, who had to withdraw after sliding out. EF Education-EasyPost and Visma-Lease a Bike took the initiative early in the race, with a strong push as they sought to unsettle UAE’s grip on the race.
Overall, this stage has not only brought excitement but also heightened tension as the riders head into the final weeks of competition. Will Del Toro maintain his lead against the onslaught from formidable challengers like Carapaz and Yates? The intensity of this stage promises more thrilling action ahead as the Giro d’Italia progresses.