Dumoulin dominates Giro ‘wine trial’
MONTEFALCO, ITALY — Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin dominated an individual time trial through Umbria’s winemaking region to take the pink jersey after the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race Tuesday.
Dumoulin, who also won time trials in last year’s Giro and Tour de France, set the pace on the 40-kilometre route from Foligno to Montefalco, where Sagrantino wine is produced.
Geraint Thomas of Britain finished second, 49 seconds behind, and former overall leader Bob Jungels of Luxembourg was third, 56 seconds back.
Previous leader Nairo Quintana struggled and finished nearly three minutes behind.
In the overall standings, Dumoulin leads Quintana by 2:23, and Bauke Mollema was third, 2:38 behind. Thibaut Pinot of France was fourth and defending champ Vincenzo Nibali fifth.
Thomas, who was slowed by a crash in the previous stage, trails by 5½ minutes.
“It’s a nice gap to go into the mountains,” said Dumoulin, who rides for Team Sunweb. “But like Quintana showed on Blockhaus (Sunday’s stage) he’s the better climber so a lot can happen in the mountains. But if I go home now it was already a successful Giro.”
Dumoulin spent six days in pink after winning the opening stage last year.
“It’s no coincidence anymore,” he said. “I can really fight with the best and it’s a good feeling.”
Still, Dumoulin is not considered a pure climber and could struggle next week in the Alps.
It was the third year that a so-called “wine trial” was featured in the Giro, after a 2015 time trial from Barbaresco to Barolo celebrated Piedmont’s top varieties, and a rainy leg last year from Radda to Greve in Chianti traversed the region of Tuscan reds.
Stage 11 on Wednesday is a 161-kilometre (100-mile) leg from Florence to Bagno Di Romagna that includes four climbs while traversing the Apennine Range.
The 100th Giro ends in Milan on May 28.