Utter humiliation: Pogacar unintentionally drops eveyone, Martínez outsmarts faltering Thomas

Tadej Pogacar has won the sixteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia. The Slovenian of UAE-Team Emirates initially seemed uninterested in the stage, but as Movistar continued to push in a stage that had been shortened due to rain and snow, Pogacar almost effortlessly achieved his fifth (!) stage victory of this Giro. Unintentionally almost, since he appeared to want to let breakaway Giulio Pellizzari win. However, the Italian couldn't keep up and finished a respectable second, ahead of Daniel Felipe Martínez. Martínez made good progress in the general classification, gaining time on Geraint Thomas.

The legendary Stelvio was initially on the menu during this stage, but early on, it became clear that too much snow had accumulated for the Giro d'Italia to pass through. Instead, the Umbrail Pass was added in as the Cima Coppi (the highest point of the Giro), but this climb too was eventually removed from the race.

Considerable uncertainty prior to the stage, which ultimately started in the valley

The weather eventually got so bad that the riders insisted on starting the stage in the valley, avoiding the largely snow-covered top of the Umbrail Pass. On Monday, the organizer RCS had already drafted a list of scenarios and decided, just before noon, to shorten the stage. The delay was mainly due to negotiations with the starting location Livigno.

An agreement was reached to have a brief neutralization in the town, but the riders did not show up there. Too dangerous, too many unknowns. They preferred a start in the valley, and after a joint statement with the CPA, the organization agreed. Right before the start, it was even announced that most teams would have preferred not to race at all on Tuesday. In other words, the chaos was huge. But it did not come to that.

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🚴🇮🇹 | Het is koers! We zijn alsnog vertrokken voor de zestiende etappe van deze Giro d'Italia. Wat gaat er gebeuren in deze nu al knotsgekke etappe? #GirodItalia 📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+

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Breakaway with Alaphilippe takes off to Pinei at high speed, Movistar reveals Quintana's cards

So what exactly did the new course of this stage hold for the peloton? The Passo Pinei, a climb of 23.4 kilometers long at an average gradient of 4.7 percent, and the final climb to Santa Christina Val Gardena: 7.6 kilometers at 6.1 percent, but the last two kilometers nearly hit a gradient of 12 percent. The stage started in Laas, near the base of the Stelvio, and was now just 119 kilometers long. The race conditions were still poor, with seven degrees Celsius and rain.

As seems to often happen in flat stages with selective final phases during this Giro, it took a while for a breakaway group to form. Initially, Italian Marco Frigo rode in front alone, with a slight lead over the pack. Eventually, Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost) and Davide Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan) made it to the front. Together, they built up a lead of about two minutes in the middle of the stage. Movistar led the peloton, wanting to keep Nairo Quintana close to the front of the race. At least, that seemed to be the case.

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🚴🇮🇹 | We gaan klimmen! Een kopgroep met daarbij Julian Alaphilippe heeft weinig voorsprong, omdat Movistar aan het beuken is op de kop van het peloton. Maar voor wie? Schakel nu in voor de finale! #GirodItalia 📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+

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Alaphilippe goes solo, but the peloton stays on his heels

Due to the hard work in the peloton, the lead of the quartet at the front was limited to a maximum of just over two minutes. Fernando Gaviria, in particular, took the lead for a long time on behalf of Movistar. The Spanish blues were clearly aiming for the stage win. With 35 kilometers to go, the Passo Pinei began. Until this point, the race had been predictable. Alaphilippe and Maestri proved to be the strongest of the breakaway group – yes, that same duo that had already ridden more than 120 kilometers in front on day twelve, before the Frenchman took the stage win.

This scenario did not unfold this time around. Alaphilippe soon realized he was the strongest and, moreover, the peloton stayed close behind at all times. Loulou accelerated and thus pulled away from the pack by a maximum of 1.40 minutes. By the time they reached the last eighteen kilometers – with six more kilometers of climbing on the Pinei to go – just over a minute remained of said lead. The peloton had caught all other escapees, and Movistar sent Pelayo Sanchez – who had won stage six – to the front. Behind him, others like Jan Tratnik (Visma) were also making moves, but with less success. Movistar kept the pace high, and surprisingly it was Quintana who began taking the lead in the final kilometers of the Pinei. The team was not aiming for him, but for Einer Rubio, ninth in the general classification.

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🇮🇹 Sadly for every cycling fan on this Earth, the bromance has stopped, and @mircomaestri9 is unable to follow @alafpolak1. ⚡ It's now a time-trial until the end for Julian #GirodItalia

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Rubio loses his last men, Bardet drops back

Movistar's ambitions were impressive to watch, but before the top of the penultimate climb, Rubio had gone through his men. Quintana dropped back after doing his part, and Sanchez went on the offensive again. However, he was set back due to mechanical problems. UAE-Team Emirates therefore had to do the work, although they did not go particularly hard. Because of this, Giulio Pellizzari (Bardiani), Christian Scaroni (Astana) and Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B) managed to break away and were in pursuit of Alaphilippe near the top.

The Frenchman scored a whopping forty mountain points on the Pinei, but the trio in pursuit quickly closed in on him during the descent. The peloton relinquished forty seconds, and just a few kilometers below the summit, it seemed one of the big names was suddenly missing. Romain Bardet, seventh in the general classification, had not recovered well from the rest day and had to drop back. He was half a minute behind his rivals at the top of the climb.

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❌🧤 Short sleeves and no gloves?? In this weather??? How Tadej? Howwww? #GirodItalia

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Everyone goes for it on Monte Pana

Just one more climb to go, the Monte Pana, which is particularly steep at the end. Alaphilippe was visibly struggling with the cold on the descent, while Pogacar rode around nonchalantly in short sleeves. Did he get the victory handed to him because of Movistar's efforts? Pellizzari, Scaroni and Costiou caught up with the chilled Alaphilippe, five kilometers from the finish. Back in the peloton, Pogacar had only Rafal Majka left to bridge a forty-second gap. That proved relatively easy, with twenty seconds and 3.5 kilometers remaining. Bardet was still trailing by about half a minute, part of a larger group.

Alaphilippe gave it his all one last time, and so Pellizzari, Costiou and Scaroni began the steepest last two kilometers with a thirty-second lead. Costiou didn't hesitate for a second and immediately dropped the other two, but Pellizzari came back at a steady pace and quickly left the Frenchman behind. We were now riding with a single leader, while Majka started dropping everyone else and launched Pogacar. Pogi quickly caught up with Pellizzari. For a moment, it seemed the Italian could keep up, but even though Pogacar did not go all out, the pink jersey's pace proved too fast.

And so Pogacar won the stage, although he might not even have wanted to... But what happened further back in the race? Martínez caught up to Pellizzari, who still finished second. The Colombian of BORA-hansgrohe, in turn, gained time on Geraint Thomas, who had a tough day. Antonio Tiberi also made good progress, followed by a strong Thymen Arensman.

Results of stage 16 Giro d'Italia 2024