Giro d'Italia stage 14 – Live coverage

Hello and a belated welcome to our live coverage of stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia!

78km to go

We're 127 kilometres into the stage and approaching the major climbing of the day. It's been largely flat so far, with little incident as the peloton have crossed Veneto into Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Our servers seem to have objected to RCS sticking 130 kilometres of flat at the front of this first big mountain stage of the race. Nonetheless, we're back in time for the main action of the day.

Our break of the day went away fairly early on. George Bennett and Bauke Mollema are the biggest names there, with the New Zealander best on GC at over 11 minutes down.

Ineos chased down a larger group that tried to get away, too. They likely didn't want Bennett to have more help/rest in a larger break, thus allowing him to be fresher for the final.

George Bennett, Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Bauke Mollema, Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo), Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates), Rémy Rochas (Cofidis), Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious), Andrii Ponomar (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Lorenzo Fortunato, Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa)

The break are currently 8:30 up the road, with Astana-Premier Tech leading the peloton at the moment.

Ineos, of course, don't need to worry too much about making the catch. Egan Bernal doesn't necessarily need the bonus seconds for first place, and would also be happy to avoid the risk of his rivals – including Aleksandr Vlasov – grabbing them.

69km to go

The riders are on the Forcella Monte Rest now. It's a second-category climb and measures in at 10.5 kilometres long with an average gradient  of 5.9 per cent.

Andrea Pasqualon (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Ruben Guerreiro (EF-Nippo) are arguing about something in the peloton. No idea what. Quite a few passionate hand gestures being bandied about...

Astana have committed their whole team to the front now. EF are also up there.

65km to go

The gap to the break is still 8:30 despite Astana's pacemaking.

The break are just under six kilometres from the top of this climb.

We're still having some technical errors on the site, such as newly uploaded images  and articles not showing, but things are improving. At least this live coverage is up and running in time for the finale here.

Riders are struggling at the rear of the peloton now. The pace has gone up and the peloton has made 30 seconds on the break.

Groups of Ineos, EF, Bora, QuickStep and BikeExchange riders are all stationed behind the Astana train.

60km to go

The break are nearing the top of the climb now. The peloton has taken another 30 seconds with Astana's eight men leading.  7:30 now.

Affini is putting in work at the front of the break for his teammate Bennett.

A look at the climb the riders are currently tackling.

Some jackets for men in the breakaway ahead of the upcoming cold descent.

Earlier on today it was reportedly 3 degrees celsius on top of the Zoncolan with quite a thick fog/mist,  so things aren't much better up there.

Overcast on the Forcella Monte Rest, though.

56km to go

The break are on the way down the descent now. 6:35 up on the peloton.

Fabio Felline drops off the front of the peloton but he could come back  on the descent to  help out once more.

Mollema took the maximum 18 points over the top. He has 31 now, 65 down on the
blue jersey Geoffrey Bouchard.

50km to go

5:50 for the break as they cross the Tagliamento river near the bottom of the descent.

There's another small hill at the bottom before they hit the valley road and continue north.

The peloton has split up a little on the descent!

Vlasov and three Astana teammates are away with Pello Bilbao and Egan Bernal. They're around 15 seconds up on the next group, led by EF.

Evenepoel is in the third  group.

Gorka Izagirre, Tejada, Sánchez are with Vlasov. Bilbao is there too, as are  Castroviejo and Bernal.

That lead group has around 33km to go to the start of the Zoncolan.

45km to go

The gap is five minutes now. The Bernal-Vlasov group has around 20 seconds on the chasing peloton, which is led by Bora-Hansgrohe and DSM now.

15 seconds between groups and then another 20 to Evenepoel's group.

Sánchez continuing his work as the lead group head down the other side of the small unclassified climb.

40km to go

Now the peloton has made the catch. Evenepoel's group is still behind, though.

Now he has made it across with two teammates. Maybe 60 riders in the peloton, five minutes down on the break.

In the valley now and the gap to the break is up to 5:50.  Astana continue to work...

24km to go

The road slightly rises as the riders head to the base of the Zoncolan. There's an intermediate sprint with 19 kilometres to go before that, though.

Gap up to six minutes now. No high pace from Astana in the valley.

Affini leads the break over the intermediate sprint point. A lot of work for the Italian today.

Now Mosca takes to the front. He's been putting in work for Mollema today, too.

Here's a look at the top of the Zoncolan.

Astana continue to control the peloton as they pass the sprint.

Here is the Zoncolan, from Sutrio for the first time since 2003. It's the 'easier' side compared to the usual ascent from Ovaro (2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018), but it's still a very hard climb as you can see...

The break pass through Sutrio. Affini and Mosca drop away after their hard work. 

Just seven men left in the break now, then, as they start the climb. 6:25 to the peloton.

The break are on the lower slopes of the climb now.

You'd expect Bennett and Mollema to be the strongest from this break. The likese of Tratnik, Oliveira and Covi are also good climbers but not quite on  the same level going uphill.

10km to go

Now the peloton start the climb.

Tratnik has stolen a march on his breakmates.

Now Fortunato pushes on in pursuit of Tratnik.

Tough slopes early on but nothing insane. The final three kilometres average 13 per cent, though.

Astana continue to work in the peloton, with two men left for Vlasov. Ineos sit behind.

The 18-year-old Ponomar is dropped from the breakaway.

9.5km to go

5:30 between peloton and breakaway.

So we have Tratnik out front, Fortunato chasing, then Mollema, Oliveira, Covi and Bennett.

Fortunato is closing on Tratnik here.

8km to go

8 to go for Tratnik as the peloton pass the 10km mark. Ineos move up at the front with Gianni Moscon now.

No time gaps for those at the front yet.

Preview: Zoncolan finale offers old twist on new Giro d'Italia classic

Rivals braced for another Bernal strike on steep upper slopes of the Kaiser

Moscon drops off now. Narváez takes it up on the front.

7km to go

Fortunato catches Tratnik. 40 seconds back to the rest of the break. 5:20 to the peloton.

It's Fortunato's (and his team's) first Giro. The 25-year-old has some climbing chops though, finishing seventh on the queen stage of the Vuelta Asturias this year, and taking eighth at last year' Tour de Langkawi.

31-year-old Tratnik won the hilly stage around these parts last year, to San Daniele del Friuli, beating Ben O'Connor from the breakaway.

6km to go

Five minutes is the gap now, as Narváez continues to work. All the big names still there.

Well Nibali isn't there anymore. He drops.

The peloton are currently seven kilometers out from the finish.

45 seconds between the Bennett-Mollema-Oliveira-Covi group and the leaders.

5km to go

4:30 back to the peloton.

The break are riding into the fog now.

Fortunato and Tratnik still together.

The leaders are on the less steep section – 1.5km at 4.5 per cent – before the brutal gradients to the line.

The four chasers are making no headway here. 4:15 for the Ineos-led peloton now.

3.5km to go

The two leaders are almost on the leg-breaking stuff now.

Fortunato leads the duo onto the double-digit gradients. There's an average of 13 per cent and maximum of 20 per cent to the line now.

50 seconds to the chase, four minutes to the peloton.

The peloton are still chipping away at the lead but the chasers aren't doing anything.

2.5km to go

3:45 to the peloton. Fortunato and Tratnik still side by side.

Bora-Hansgrohe join Ineos at the front of the peloton.

20 per cent gradients for the leaders now, and it shows.

Castroviejo and Martínez left for Bernal.

Covi makes a move from the chase.

Fortunato is distancing Tratnik! 

Eolo-Kometa co-team boss Alberto Contador said he's ride from Madrid to Milan if the team win a stage at this Giro. Just imagine them winning on Zoncolan!

2km to go

The leaders pass the 2km mark. 45 seconds back to Covi and the rest.

Mikel Nieve the latest to drop from the peloton.

Evenepoel near the back of the peloton as Martínez takes over at the front.

Formolo gone from the peloton now.

1.5km to go

Covi 40 seconds down on Fortunato.

3:10 back to the peloton.

Wanty's Rein Taaramäe put in a dig but couldn't get away.

Tratnik not so far behind Fortunato now as the Italian gets an unwanted push from a spectator.

These slopes are brutal.

1.2km to go

Three minutes back to the peloton, still no attacks.

Ponomar is caught by the peloton. Nice ride from the youngster.

Evenepoel is dropping!

A few wheel-lengths off the back.

1km to go

Simon Yates goes!

Bernal is right with him. Buchmann chases behind.

Fortunato is 700 meters away from a glorious win!

The peloton has totally fractured now.

Tratnik is probably fewer than 50 metres back but that is still 5-10 seconds on this gradient...

Buchmann chases Bernal and Yates. Martínez on him.

Vlasov is nowhere after all the work Astana had been doing.

500m to go

Fortunato still solo.

Yates and Bernal still alone.

Tratnik swinging across the road as Fortunato looks in severe pain. Brutal.

300 to go!

No time gaps for the GC men yet.

Wow. What a ride from Fortunato today. He's doing this!

The Italian emerges from the mist. 100 to go.

Lorenzo Fortunato wins on the Zoncolan!!

A debut win for Eolo-Kometa on the toughest climb of the race. Amazing!

Tratnik takes second, 25 seconds down.

Bernal has gone now. He passes Bennett.

Yates can't follow!

Covi finishes second, a minute down.

Bernal is dominating this Giro.

Mollema is overtaken by Bernal in the closing metres.

1:43 down, Bernal finishes.

10 seconds to Yates.

Bennett next.

Martinez and Caruso finish with Ciccone. 2:25 down.

Dan Martin and Buchmann at 2:30.

Carthy at 2:40. Vlasov at 2:55. Evenepoel at 3:10.

Bernal now in pink by 1:33.

Here's what Fortunato had to say after his incredible victory today..

"I'm very happy for today. The team is the best and in first attacks my teammate Albanese was with me in the breakaway. The breakaway went easy all day but at the start of the Zoncolan I attacked and stayed behind Tratnik. My legs are very good and I'm very very happy.

"I want to thank to all of Eolo-Kometa, Luca Spada who is here with me, because without them, I would never have achieved this wonderful result. I came here thinking of getting into breakaways, but I never imagined winning on the Zoncolan.

"But in the car with Stefano Zanatta, Sean Yates, Ivan Basso, and Jesús Hernández, and Alberto, who is in the team, I think it is the minimum I can do to win this stage, and now we’ll look for others. I’m climbing well, I’m strong, and for sure we will see each other in other stages."

A shot of our winner today.

Yates and Bernal in action on the climb.

Here's what Bernal had to say after the finish...

"I don’t know if that’s the name I just tried to be calm because I think that I’m in a really good position now. I don’t need to attack on every mountain stage. I just need to be calm and patient. Finally I followed Yates and the I tried to make an acceleration in the final and I think that I did a good race.

"They were pulling really hard during the stage. I was thinking that Vlasov would be good. Normally this is a good climb for him so I was surprised that they were pulling so hard in the stage but then in the final we had the control of the race.

"I think it’s a good gap but I need to have focus. Everything can happen in the Giro. It looks like 1:30 is enough time but you never know. I need to be calm with the gap."

Fortunato celebrates his famous win on the podium.

Some post-stage reporting...

Giro d'Italia: Egan Bernal increases overall lead on stage 14 atop Zoncolan

Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on the Zoncolan stage

A nice shot of Martínez and Bernal leading the peloton on the steep slopes of the Zoncolan.