Froome takes pink jersey in Giro
Chris Froome produced one of the great performances of his career, attacking alone on a gravel road up a gruelling climb to win the 19th stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday and claim the overall leader’s pink jersey.
The four-time Tour de France champion launched his solo attack up the three-week race’s highest climb with 80 kilometers (50 miles) to go and rode clear amid banks of snow above the tree line.
Pedalling furiously, Froome continuously increased his advantage over two more Alpine ascents to finish three minutes ahead of his closest challenger.
The victory put Froome in position to win his third consecutive Grand Tour and match the achievements of the great Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault. There are two stages of the Giro left.
“I don’t think I’ve ever attacked 80 kilometres from the finish, riding on my own and going all the way to the finish,” Froome said. “I knew there was a long way to go but to win this Giro d’Italia I had to do something extraordinary. I couldn’t wait for the last climb. I had to do something crazy.
“Colle delle Finestre was the perfect place to do it. Gravel roads remind me of Africa,” added Froome, who races for Britain with Team Sky but was born and raised in Kenya.
Froome leads defending champion Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands by 40 seconds in the overall standings. Frenchman Thibaut Pinot is third overall, 4:17 behind.
There is one more mountainous stage today, a 214-kilometre leg from Susa to Cervinia, before tomorrow’s mostly ceremonial finish in Rome.
Froome had started the day fourth overall, more than three minutes behind previous leader Simon Yates.
Yates fell far behind up the gruelling climb on Colle delle Finestre as Froome launched his audacious attack, and finished nearly 40 minutes behind.
It was Yates’ 13th day wearing the pink jersey.
Richard Carapaz of Ecuador crossed second in the stage, exactly three minutes behind, and French challenger Thibaut Pinot finished third, 3:07 back.
Dumoulin came behind Froome. fifth, 3:23