With the Giro d’Italia seemingly already won, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) took the opportunity to settle a score on the slopes of Monte Ologno on stage 18 – even if the maglia rosa would never admit as much himself, least of all when faced with a dozen expectant microphones in the mixed zone afterwards.
"I don’t think in terms of vengeance. You just take the race as it comes," Contador said simply of a day that saw him extend his overall lead to 5:15 by attacking on the day’s final climb after second-placed Mikel Landa (Astana) had crashed on the run-in.
The Astana team were similarly ruthless in attacking Contador two days ago when he stopped to change a wheel ahead of the Mortirolo, and Landa proceeded to irk his fellow countryman still further by soloing clear in the finale to claim stage honours in Aprica despite not collaborating with him in the winning break.
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