Giro leader Yates gains three seconds, but Chaves struggles on long stage
GUALDO TADINO, ITALY — Overall leader Simon Yates gained three bonus seconds in the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race Tuesday but it was a difficult day for his Mitchelton-Scott team as Esteban Chaves dropped out of contention.
Slovenian rider Matej Mohoric of the Bahrain-Merida team edged Nico Denz of AG2R in a two-man sprint to win the stage while all of the other leaders finished safely in the main pack, 34 seconds behind.
Chaves had entered the day in second place overall but dropped behind early on in the rolling 244-kilometre stage from Penne to Gualdo Tadino in Umbria, which was the race’s longest.
Several teammates spent precious energy trying fruitlessly to escort Chaves back to the main pack.
“Chaves just had a bad moment on the first climb of the day,” Yates said. “Straight after the rest day, you don’t know how the body responds. I’m very disappointed for him because he’s worked hard for this Giro.”
Mitchelton team director Matthew White said Chaves has been struggling with throat and allergy problems.
“Now all of our energy will turn to looking out for Simon and protecting the maglia rosa (pink jersey),” White said.
Yates won an intermediate sprint and now leads defending champion Tom Dumoulin by 41 seconds, with Thibaut Pinot up to third, 46 seconds behind.
Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome moved up one spot to 10th, 2:30 back.
Wet roads in the finale made for treacherous conditions, causing punctures for Dumoulin and Richard Carapaz, who is fifth overall and leads the young rider classification.
Both made it back to the main pack.
Irish rider Sam Bennett won a mass sprint to place third, 34 seconds behind.
The lengthy stage was a brutal wake-up call after the race’s second rest day, especially with two early climbs and constant rolling terrain along the rest of the route.
The route passed by the site of the Rigopiano avalanche, which killed 29 hotel guests and staff last year. Four children and five adults were pulled alive from the snow and debris days after the avalanche.
Another hilly stage is scheduled for Wednesday, with a 156km leg from Assisi to Osimo that concludes with a short but steep climb.
Then after a couple of milder stages, the race heats up again with a climb up Monte Zoncolan on Saturday and a gruelling leg through the Dolomite Range on Sunday.
The race ends in Rome on
May 27.