Giro d'Italia: Ackermann awarded photo-finish sprint victory on stage 11
Hello and welcome along to our live coverage of stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia
The big news this morning is that eight more riders have left the Giro. Four of them are from the Soudal-QuickStep team, who are now down to just three riders after Remco Evenepoel's exit. All of them tested positive for COVID-19, as did Andrea Vendrame (AG2R) and Stefano Gandin (Corratec-Selle Italia) this morning. Meanwhile, Jonathan Caicedo (EF) and Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek-Segafredo) are out with non-COVID illnesses.
The riders have left the start town of Camaoire, on Italy's west coast – Tirreno-Adriatico often starts here - and are currently rolling through a long neutral zone towards kilometre-zero.
This is the longest stage of the 2023 Giro, at 219km. We have three minor-category climbs on the menu, where some teams may look to hurt the purest sprinters, but a bunch sprint - with or without them - is the likeliest outcome today.
Here was the lonely-looking remaining QuickStep trio just before. Full story on that here.
And here's the race leader Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), ready for his second day in pink.
As you can tell, the sun has not come out on this sodden edition of the Giro. It's not raining at the moment, but there are cloudy skies overhead.
We're still in the neutral zone but we're not far away from kilometre-zero and the stat of the stage.
Longest stage of the race 🤝 Longest neutral zone
The riders turn onto the coast road at Lido di Camaiore, and that means we're about to get going.
We're off
Corratec-Selle Italia and Eolo-Kometa are keen.
Four riders get a gap but now an Intermarché rider jumps across and goes out in front.
The Italian second-division teams are all determined to get a man up the road. Corratec-Selle Italia, Eolo-Kometa, and Green Project-Bardiani are all pinging riders off.
It's Laurens Rex for Intermarché and he's alone out front as the other teams launch sporadic responses behind.
Five riders sett off in pursuit and this one looks like it might go.
The peloton spreads across the road. It's a super wide one, so impossible to 'block' it, as such, but it's shutting down nonetheless.
The five riders - two from Corratec, one from GreenProject, Eolo, and Cofidis - make it over to Rex, and this is our six-man breakaway.
This is the composition of the day's breakaway
Thomas takes off his pink rain cape as some rare sunshine breaks through the clouds.
The breakaway open a lead of four minutes as the peloton stops for nature breaks, but now Trek-Segafredo have come to the front of the bunch to control things.
Here's a first shot of our breakaway.
And here's where it was formed, on the coast road by the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Three teams are combining to control things in the peloton: Astana, Movistar, and Trek-Segafredo.
- Astana are here for Mark Cavendish, who has shown small flashes but hasn't had a clear run at the line yet.
Other big contenders for the victory today...
And, finally, some outsiders...
Fancy some full-screen pics of some rather special Colnagos? Will Jones has this spectacular gallery from his recent visit to Colnago HQ.
The breakaway have seen their advantage fall to three minutes. It's a pretty tight leash for a stage that still has 175km left to run.
Milan's Bahrain Victorious have sent a rider towards the front, while Jumbo-Visma and UAE are now massed behind those peloton-pullers, with Ineos Grenadiers dropping back recently.
50km down and our six-man breakaway have a decreasing lead of 2:40 over the peloton. We're just over 10km from the first intermediate sprint, which is shortly followed by the first of our three climbs.
The gap has dropped to 2:25. Intermediate sprint coming up - this one counts for both the maglia ciclamino points classification and the separate intermediate sprints competition.
Here we go then, and most of them are going for it. It's between Rex and Stojnic on the line.
Stojnic takes it by a wheel. Champion and Sevilla were also interested.
And here comes the peloton. Bahrain are leading this out for Milan.
Pedersen has his own lead-out. It's Pedersen vs Milan.
No one else is bothering.
They both open with 100 metres to go, and it's Milan who takes it.
Milan and now Pedersen drift back to the peloton. 2:20 is the gap between break and bunch.
Intermediate sprint 1 results
We're now climbing the first ascent of the day, the cat-4 Passo del Bracco, which is just under 10km long.
Astana and Trek are setting a steady tempo on the climb.
Kaden Groves distanced!
The stage 5 winner is dangling off the back of the full peloton on this climb. He's not properly dropping and he does grab something from his team car, but he doesn't look comfortable, which doesn't bode well.
Wish i was in the Giro. At this rate of riders dropping out i could have ended up on the podium again.May 16, 2023
It has clouded over again and, despite going up a climb, a few riders are putting layers back on. Arkea-Samsic's Michel Ries gets some assistance from Bardiani's Filippo Fiorelli.
Inside the final kilometre of this climb and the breakaway riders will soon fight it out for the points.
Stojnic, just like at the intermediate sprint, is the fastest there and takes maximum KOM points, ahead of Sevilla and Magli.
The peloton crested the climb 2:45 in arrears.
We've got a near-20km descent now, then 35km on the flat.
A few drops of rain are falling on this descent.
The six breakaway riders find some more ground. After that descent, their gap is back up to 3 minutes, which is still pretty meagre.
Arms out for the race leader.
We had this story a while back, but Jumbo-Visma have now confirmed that Christophe Laporte has signed a three-year contract extension. Hear from rider and team in this latest story.
Trek, Bahrain, and Astana continue to combine at the head of the bunch. Gaviria's Movistar men have taken a back seat recently.
Nature breaks in the peloton. The gap to the break stands at 2:15 with just over 100km to go.
100km to go
176 riders started this Giro, 142 remain. Here's a full run-down of who's gone, and why.
The gap between break and bunch is down below the two-minute mark.
The breakaway are approaching the day's second climb, the category-3 Colla di Boasi.
The average speed so far after three hours is 41.3 km/h.
There's no attempt from any of the teams of the more versatile sprinters to put pressure on any of the pure sprinters, so it looks like we're heading for a full bunch sprint today.
Groves dropped
The breakaway are coming towards the top of this cat-3 climb and we should have another fight for the mountains points.
Magli opens it up with a rasping long-ranger, by Stojnic goes after him and comes around him on the line to take maximum points. Sevilla trails across in third.
Stojnic has now taken maximum points and both climbs and the intermediate sprint.
The peloton hit the top of the climb 90 seconds down.
It's Milan who leads the bunch over, the maglia ciclamino - and stage win contender - looking for a prominent position, not that it seems to matter much.
We now have 25km of gentle downhill before our second intermediate sprint (which doesn't count for the maglia ciclamino) and then the short final cat-4 climb ahead of the 40km run-in to Tortona.
Stojnic moves to 18 points in the mountains classification, putting him in ninth place. Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) leads that one.
We've got some more drops of rain now.
Groves is chasing on this downhill. He might get back in but he surely can't sprint for victory on this form.
Crash! Ineos riders down
Roglic has crashed, and Geoghegan Hart!
Roglic is on his way again, on his teammates' bike. But Geoghegan Hart is staying down and this does not look good.
One UAE rider also down. They slipped out on a wet left-hand bend.
Race leader Geraint Thomas also hit the deck but got up and away quickly.
It's the UAE rider who slides out just in front of Thomas. Roglic actually crashes behind in an isolated event, with Geoghegan Hart just behind him.
Alessandro Covi was the UAE rider. Sivakov also hit the deck for Ineos.
Geoghegan Hart out of the race
Another crash! This time at the front. Oscar Rodriguez (Movistar) rider overlaps wheels with a Trek rider and goes flying into a road sign. He's down and also looking in a bad way.
Replays show how four separate riders all slipped out on that bend independently of one another. Geoghegan Hart was behind Roglic but was falling at the same time, coming down heavily on his left-hand side. He was lying contorted for a long time before it was decided he needed to be taken away on a stretcher.
Geoghegan Hart won the Giro in 2020 and, after a difficult two years, was coming back into the form of his life. He was third overall, and arguably looking stronger than Thomas.
Roglic has changed back to his own bike, a spare, having taken that of Koen Bouwman in the aftermath of his crash. He appears ok but will surely be asked about the damage later on. The same goes for Thomas, who was back on his feet really quickly.
Anyway, the race continues with Trek and Astana chasing the breakaway at 1:50, but the real story today is the number of withdrawals. Eight non-starters, and now one non-finisher (and we're still waiting for an update on Rodriguez).
Here's our story on the crash. We'll provide updates on Geoghegan Hart's condition when we have more.
50km to go
The road starts to climb almost immediately for our third and final ascent, the cat-4 Passo della Castagnola.
Another confirmed abandon - Oscar Rodriguez has left the race after his freak crash into the road sign. It appeared he was overtaken and then cut up by a Trek rider, sending him off-road.
The Passo della Castagnola starts here and measures 5.1km at 4.6%
Jayco-AlUla are cooking something. They send two riders out the front as the bunch start the climb.
Slightly odd scenes as they look around but now they get organised and it looks like Jayco are going to light things up on this climb. Filippo Zana takes it up, Lukas Postlberger and Eddie Dunbar in the wheel.
Jacyo are going to try and drop the pure sprinters, in the interests of Michael Matthews.
The breakaway are just 45 seconds ahead now and they up the pace themselves. Sevilla and Konychev are dropped.
Splits in the bunch! Jayco's move is working...
Milan is cut adrift in these splits, Cavendish too.
The break come to the top and it's Stojnic who once again claims maximum KOM points. He has swept up today.
Zana leads the bunch over the top of the climb and this is the crucial part. They've dropped a few sprinters but there are still over 40km of largely flat roads to go. It'd be a mammoth effort to keep those dropped riders at bay.
Magli has also been dropped from the break, so three remain out front with 45 seconds in hand: Champion, Stojnic, and Rex.
A fairly steep and twisting downhill now on wet roads.
Cavendish is back on the end of the peloton. Milan is also in there. It has come back together already.
This is Zana, who's still driving the bunch.
Meanwhile Rex is driving things on up front and Stojnic is the only one able to follow. Champion is dropped.
Sivakov, another Ineos rider caught up in that crash earlier, is on his bike but struggling several minutes behind the peloton. He'd started the day in the top 10 overall. Nightmare day for Ineos.
Near miss! Stojnic overcooks a left-hander on downhill roads still have a layer of moisture on. He sticks a leg out and impressively keeps control.
30km to go
Jayco-AlUla have disappeared - they gave it a go but that was a massive long shot - and now it's back to Trek-Segafredo and Movistar pulling the peloton.
25km to go
The gap drops to 30 seconds with 21km to go.
Let's take a look at the finish. A good few kilometres of straight, and then a 90-degree right-hander at a roundabout with 400 metres to go. There's going to be a huge fight for position going into that.
And here's the profile. False flat down - it's going to be fast.
Rex alone out front!
Stojnic tried to get out of the saddle to respond to Rex's acceleration but quickly bowed his head. The Corratec man was on top at the sprints and KOMs but Rex looks clearly like the breakaway's strongest man.
Mollema is on the front for Trek. They and Movistar have numbers combining in this chase. No other teams have been working since Jayco tried to split things on the climb.
Rex is doing a remarkable job here, and he's actually holding Mollema. But the problem is that the peloton have plenty of men in reserve.
15km to go
The moment Rex went solo.
10km to go
A reminder of the contenders for the stage win
Kaden Groves would be on that list but he has struggled today and was dropped on some of the climbs, so it's hard to see him being competitive here. Alpecin could sprint instead with Stefano Oldani.
The peloton spreads across the road with Rex in sight. They know the catch is as good as done and it's a bit of a waiting game until the real wind-up.
Ineos are keeping Thomas safe on the left. FDJ have set up on the right.
Rex bursts out of the saddle through a roundabout but the catch is imminent with 5.5km to go.
Rex looks over his shoulder and sits up with 5km to go. Huge effort from him.
4km to go and Bahrain appear through the middle, alongside Cavendish who has one man in front of him.
Luis Leon Sanchez is Cavendish's guiding light here. No other Astana riders in the mix at the moment.
Attack from Charlie Quarterman (Corratec) with 3.3km to go.
Ineos on the nose as Quarterman dangles.
Bora now take it up with two riders ahead of two from Jayco.
Quarterman caught with 2km to go.
Roundabout. Bora still with two on the front. Trek try to move Pedersen up.
Crash and the peloton splits
Everyone will get the same time given that was inside 3km to go but that's split the bunch and only 40 remain.
Dainese opens it up for DSM with 800m to go.
UAE on the front now as they prepare to take the right-hand bend.
Trek comes through first, Pedersen getting a leadout.
Cavendish on the wheel of Pedersen!
Cavendish opens up!
But Ackermann runs him close, and Milan comes up at the last minute! Photo finish
Ackermann and Milan both think they've won it!
Ackermann is declared as the winner
It's super close but the photo finish shoes that Ackermann took it.
UAE's Ryan Gibbons took them into that right-hand bend, but it was Pedersen's lead-out man who came through in first place. The problem was, though, that Pedersen found himself having to open up early. Cavendish was in the wheel and looked poised by Ackermann was just behind him and managed to edge past the Manxman. But then Milan appeared from nowhere, having come from miles back. He shook his finger at the celebrating Ackermann as if to say 'I wouldn't be so sure about that', but Ackermann's celebrations are proven - by a hair's breadth - to be well-placed.
There's the finish line shot.
And there's the bold celebration.
And here's the photo finish
Results
Let's hear from the winner
Full results are still pending. Thomas and a number of GC riders didn't finish in the front peloton so we can assume they were held up by that late crash. It wasn't clear what happened there, as the roundabout obscured the view.
A torn-up Pavel Sivakov (Ineos) has managed to finish the stage so his Giro goes on.
Fernando Gaviria came down in that late crash. It looked like he, Jasha Sutterlin (Bahrain) and Henok Mulubrahn (Green Project-Bardiani) were the three riders who hit the deck, the rest caught up and delayed behind it (but given the same time).
This was Thomas crossing the finish line
Sivakov finished nearly quarter of an hour down. He's out of the GC picture but he's not out of the race, although quite how much he's fit to contribute remains to be seen.
This Jonathan Milan reminds of a young Marcel Kittel. Real powerhouse.May 17, 2023
Roglic injury
More from Thomas, who also crashed at the same time as Roglic and Geoghegan Hart
Here's a photo of Roglic at the finish
And here's Thomas inspecting the wounds of his closest rival
Full results, including GC, are here
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