- Giro d'Italia: Buitrago wins mountaintop battle on stage 19 to Tre Cime Lavaredo
Stage 19 result
General classification
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia!
We kick off our live report with some major news as Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) is a DNS this morning. The British rider, who dropped from 11th to 14th overall on stage 18, has been suffering from stomach problems
51 riders out of the race so far with 125 set to start today, pending further withdrawals.
We're just over 40 minutes from the start of a big day at the Giro and stage 19.
A look at the map and profile of today's stage...
Racing kicks off at 11:35 local time with a 8.2km ride through the neutral zone and the start proper 15 minutes later.
A look at the GC after yesterday's stage to Val di Zoldo...
A look ahead to today's monster queen stage – can maglia rosa Geraint Thomas maintain his consistency today and tomorrow before the race finishes in Rome?
The stage will be streamed live in full, of course. Find out how to watch the action with our streaming guide.
Thibaut Pinot is riding the last few days of his final Giro d'Italia. After finishing second on Crans-Montana he was second again yesterday, though he did ride back into the blue jersey of the mountain classification lead.
Away from the GC battle and a potential breakaway fight for the stage win, the battle for the blue jersey.
The riders have rolled out to start the neutral zone!
Here's where the riders are racing towards – the famous dolomitic rock peaks of Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The finish line is at Rifugio Auronzo in the shadow of the highest parts of the mountain.
We'll get into the day's climbs more later but first the start of the stage is coming up fast. Just a few minutes before the flag drops and the battle for the break begins.
We're still waiting for the start of the stage. A slight delay in the neutral zone as the TV helicopters were delayed in getting off the ground.
We're still waiting for the start...
Alan Riou (Arkéa-Samsic) stops for a rear wheel change. More delays...
We've had unmatched full live coverage, as well as on-the-ground coverage every day during the Giro d'Italia.
183km to go
Attacks flying straight away on the flattest roads of the day.
179km to go
The peloton is strung out in a line at the back with the high pace set early on.
175km to go
Laurens Rex (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) going solo across to Warbasse and Stojnić.
45 seconds from the two leaders back to the peloton.
169km to go
Rex caught now and more riders push on at the front.
Now Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) is at the front trying to make a move!
161km to go
Warbasse and Stojnić still off the front, 28 seconds up on the rest.
Astana and Jayco now making moves at the head of the peloton.
The riders are about to start the gradual uphill run towards the first climb of the day.
Movistar, Eolo, Bardiani, Cofidis, Israel, AG2R, Arkéa also with riders at the front trying to move.
155km to go
Maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan at the rear of the peloton. No surprise there as it's not a day for him.
KOM contenders Thibaut Pinot and Ben Healy also towards the back. They haven't been involved in any moves so far.
Still nothing going at the front of the peloton. Jumbo-Visma heavily involved in recent attacks and now Michel Hessman tries.
Warbasse and Stojnič have done really well to get away and hold this gap with all the attacks going behind.
148km to go
The riders racing through a tunnel at the moment so no TV coverage for a few minutes.
A few more riders off the front after the tunnel.
Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) has made it across to the two leaders! Alex Baudin joins his AG2R teammate Warbasse out front, too.
Neo-pro Derek Gee has been one of the revelations of the Giro with three second places so far along with two fourth places. He's in second place in the points classification and has won the combativity prize twice!
Pinot and Healy moving up in the peloton as the attacking continues.
139km to go
More attacks from Bora, Astana, Bardiani, AG2R.
Another tunnel now.
134km to go
Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R Citroën), Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe), Davide Gabburo (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), and Vadim Pronskiy (Astana Qazaqstan) now battling to come across.
And still more moves go off the front.
The riders are heading uphill now, around 15km to go until they hit the intermediate sprint at Caprile.
Konrad, Gabburo, Prodhomme, Pronskiy make it across to the leaders.
25 seconds from the leaders to the peloton.
Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-Samsic) now moving clear of the peloton.
Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Stefano Oldani (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla) among the latest attackers from the peloton.
127km to go
Movistar pair José Joaquín Rojas and Carlos Verona now making a move.
AG2R have five men left in the race following the abandons of Lapeira, Vendrame, and Cherel. Three of them are in the breakaway!
A big slowdown in the peloton here as Buitrago gets across to the leaders. 10 in front now.
Mattia Bais (Eolo-Kometa) is also among the various riders chasing the lead group.
All of a sudden it's 3:30 back to the peloton.
120km to go
A real slowdown in the peloton and the gap is growing and growing.
Stojnić beats Gee to the intermediate sprint. The Canadian is now on 148 points to Milan's 215 in the race for the maglia ciclamino.
Stojnić takes 12 points and is now a point down on Toms Skujins and Thomas Champion in the intermediate sprint classification.
1:30 from the break to the chase group of Bais, Rojas, and Verona.
Ineos Grenadiers in charge at the head of the peloton now with UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma lined up behind.
Derek Gee is the only threat from the breakaway in the mountain classification. He's on 66 points, 161 points down on maglia azzurra Pinot.
116km to go
The two Movistar men in the chase. 35 seconds now.
112km to go
The Irishman may be over five minutes down on the break but he's going for it here. It's the last chance to win the blue jersey from Thibaut Pinot today.
Pinot is chasing with a teammate at the head of the peloton.
Meanwhile, Rojas, Verona and Bais are 20 seconds behind the break now.
Now the peloton is all lined out as Healy continues his attack.
There's a split in the peloton. The front – around 40 riders – has a gap on the rest of the group.
Rojas, Verona, and Bais are in the break! 15 men out front.
Pinot is with Healy now.
Four minutes up to the break after that. It looks like they'll drop back to the peloton.
Up front, Konrad is on the attack already.
A look at today's breakaway.
Konrad was just going off the front to grab a musette from his soigneur the feed zone.
108km to go
Pinot is right on him.
Healy and Pinot back in the peloton. Rohan Dennis is chatting and laughing with the Irishman.
In front of them Pinot shakes his head.
Ineos Grenadiers back in charge at the front of the peloton.
4:30 to the breakaway.
Gee and Pinot on the attack earlier.
100km to go
It's not 5:15 from the break back to the peloton now.
Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma lined up at the head of the peloton.
5:40 for the break as they ride up the Campolongo.
It's a secon-category climb so 18 points up for grabs in the breakaway.
Gabburo jumps out to take 18 over the top. Bais and Gee take eight and six.
The 15 men of the breakaway descend into the valley 5:40 up on the peloton. Ineos Grenadiers letting the gap grow out.
85km to go
Great scenery today.
Onto the Valparola now and the gap to the peloton is still growing.
A look at the climb the break are racing up now – it's the longest of the day at 14.1km and an average of 5.6%.
Stojnić drops from the breakaway.
76km to go
7:50 for the breakaway now.
Now a split in the breakaway but only a few seconds.
Rojas drops from the break as the TV moto zooms in on Verona's road rash on right hip.
Magnus Cort has some kind of mechanical problem at the front of his bike. He's bouncing it off the road trying to see what's going on.
Meanwhile Rojas is yo-yoing off the rear of the group.
AG2R are driving the break. No surprise given they have three men in the move.
Alberto Contador reports from the in-race moto that Verona crashed after the AG2R car touched his wheel. No video of the incident, however.
72km to go
Gabburo goes for the 40 points at the top of the climb. He has the beating of Bais.
But then Gee comes up fast from behind and nips through to lead the way across the top.
Gee has now added 46 points to his KOM total. He's now on 112 at 115 down on Pinot. 108 points remain on the stage.
The breakaway working their way uphill.
Downhill for them now, though. A long ride into the valley ahead of the Passo Giau.
Ineos, UAE, Jumbo still at the head of the peloton.
60km to go
Jayco-AlUla on the front over the top.
Buitrago is threatening Eddie Dunbar's GC place, of course.
Mark Cavendish has made his way to the back of the peloton on the descent. Not a furious pace set in the main group over the first two climbs of the day.
The break are down in the valley now and they're heading back uphill over a small rise in the road before the Passo Giau.
54km to go
A great shot of the breakaway out on the roads in the Dolomites.
The Passo Giau is next on the menu. 9.9km at an average of 9.3%!
In 2007, Piepoli and Riccardo Riccò led the way with an attack that led to a one-two at Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The following year, Sella won his second stage in a row with a massive breakaway effort where he led over all six climbs of the day.
48km to go
RAI reports that AG2R Citroën have had one of their cars kicked out of the race after hitting Verona earlier on.
Riders dropping out the rear of the peloton now.
The gruppetto forming at the rear as Ineos Grenadiers lead the way at the front.
6:50 from peloton to breakaway currently.
Pascal Ackermann waves to the camera as he goes backwards from the peloton.
46km to go
Gee reacts but others are struggling.
Buitrago with Gee as they come across to Verona. The remainder of the break a few seconds further back.
Hepburn and Cort make an effort and they're across the gap, too.
44km to go
No movement in the peloton – Ineos Grenadiers still leading.
Buitrago pushes on at the front. Hepburn sticks with him. Cort having trouble at the rear of the lead group.
42km to go
Cort hangs in there.
1km to go until the top and now Prodhomme and Pronskiy are closing in on the leaders.
Hepburn now pushing on at top. He's going unexpectedly strong on the climb here.
40km to go
Gee and Verona fight their way back. The Canadian leads the way over the top.
86 KOM points for Gee now. Over the 2,236-metre summit he takes his total to 152 points, 75 down on Pinot.
Another long descent now, this time into Cortina d'Ampezzo.
It's been raining in Cortina d'Ampezzo and the roads are wet.
35km to go
The breakaway on the Giau.
The peloton crosses the top of the climb. Around 40 or so in the group.
Prodhomme and Pronskiy are at the front of the race with Gee, Verona, Cort, Hepburn, Buitrago now.
Warbasse, Gabburo, Konrad, and Oldani are 40 seconds down on the leaders.
30km to go
Ineos Grenadiers at the head of the peloton. Nothing from Jumbo or UAE so far so the British squad are content with the lack of action.
Now the break resumes the descent to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Warbasse, Konrad, Gabburo, Oldani are back on at the front.
11 men at the head of the race.
Salvatore Puccio and Ben Swift are still on the front of the peloton and Michael Matthews is still in there. It hasn't been a fast day for the GC group...
22km to go
A look at the finale as the break hits the Passo Tre Croci (7.9km at 7.2%).
Warbasse jumps at the front.
A bike change for Primož Roglič. This one has a SRAM 1x gravel groupset with a 40 or 42 front ring and a 10-44 cassette. Jumbo-Visma had said that the bike was for tomorrow's mountain time trial.
Thrilling stuff...
It's raining on the Passo Tre Croci.
Ben Healy out the rear of the peloton on the climb.
18km to go
The peloton haven't hit the rain yet.
6:20 up to the break.
Now Buitrago and Cort make it across to Warbasse.
It's pouring rain up in the break.
Derek Gee is back! He passes Warbasse and makes it across to Buitrago and Cort.
Laurens De Plus on the front for Thomas as the peloton rides into the storm.
Arensman is also there for Ineos. Jumbo-Visma have I think five men left.
16km to go
Six riders for Jumbo-Visma in there, actually.
Hail falling on the riders now.
15km to go
Still no movement from Jumbo-Visma. With three riders more than Ineos you'd think they might have made a move before the final 15km.
Gee leads the breakaway quartet. Buitrago, Hepburn, Cort behind.
Formolo drops from the peloton. João Almeida won't have much help on the final climb.
Now Jumbo-Visma riders are dropping away. Hessmann and now Bouwman.
De Plus setting a hard pace up the climb.
Bouwman hanging in at the back.
11km to go
Gee picked up 18 points over the top of Tre Croci. 170 now. 57 down on Pinot with 50 up for grabs at the finish.
Now the break has come back together on the descent. Verona, Konrad, Warbasse, Prodhomme, Pronskiy back on.
A few lumps in the road before the climb to the finish.
9km to go
Here's a reminder of the final today.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo has been visited by the Giro seven times before, each time hosting the summit finish. Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Jose Manuel Fuente, Beat Breu, Luis Herrera, Riccardo Riccò, and Vincenzo Nibali have all won there.
Now Gee is at the front. He's with Hepburn, Buitrago, and Cort once again.
8km to go
De Plus and Arensman continue on the front for Thomas.
Gee attacks!
Tre Cime di Lavaredo...
Just 3:35 back to the peloton now.
6km to go
Now Buitrago is riding away from Hepburn.
Buitrago is off to hunt down Gee.
5.5km to go
Rohan Dennis done in the peloton now. Roglič only has Kuss left.
De Plus drops away and Thomas has let the wheel go to Arensman.
Kuss, Almeida, Roglič, Dunbar behind Thomas.
Caruso and Zana lead the group across to Arensman.
Around 15 men left in the GC group.
4km to go
3:25 back to the peloton. Buitrago isn't closing the gap yet.
3.5km to go
Pinot, Paret-Peintre, Van Wilder, Rubio, Leknessund, Kämna are in there with Arensman, Thomas, Almeida, Zana, Caruso, Roglič, Kuss.
Buitrago can see Gee just up ahead. Now he's closing the gap a little.
3km to go
Now De Plus is back in the GC group.
A short flat section here for the GC group before the steepest section to the top.
Gee suffering here as he pushes on. Buitrago looks to be edging closer and closer.
2.5km to go
Almeida moves up in the group alongside Thomas.
Dunbar and Zana also up there. Jumbo-Visma's pair just behind.
Now the GC men head uphill again.
De Plus putting in a huge ride for Thomas today.
Aurelien Paret-Peintre is out the rear of the group now. Van Wilder at the back.
Up front, Buitrago seems to be the same distance behind Gee every time we cut back to him. The gap is very small.
Van Wilder almost losing touch at the rear of the GC group as they pass the 3km mark.
Zana and Kämna also at the back.
De Plus is still going here!
Gee on the attack.
2km to go
Buitrago still with the same gap up to Gee seemingly...
Arensman leads Thomas, Almeida, Dunbar, Roglič at the front.
Zana dropping away now.
Van Wilder and Kämna now struggling.
Rubio and Caruso at the back of the group.
Up front Buitrago is just a few bike lengths behind Gee!
10 men in the GC group.
Arensman, Almeida, Thomas, Roglič, Kuss, Pinot, Leknessund, Rubio, Caruso, Dunbar.
Buitrago catches Gee!
1.5km to go
Buitrago has taken off at the front. Poor Gee.
The Colombian is clear of Gee, who now looks set for a fourth second place at his debut Giro d'Italia.
Leknessund having trouble at the rear of the peloton now as the GC group catches the remnants of the breakaway.
Gabburo, Verona are caught and passed.
Dunbar drops!
Rubio, Pinot, Caruso, Roglič, Kuss, Almeida, Thomas, Arensman left.
2:30 up to Buitrago.
Gee battles his way through the massed fans in the road.
A look at the GC group.
1km to go
Thomas and Roglič next in line.
2:30 up to Buitrago.
Roglič attacks!
Almeida can't match him.
Thomas goes around the Portuguese rider and gets across.
Almeida fighting back now. Everyone else dropped.
Roglič and Thomas catch Oldani and Konrad from the break.
500m to go
The GC men are a kilometre from the line.
Almeida edging his way back.
No big moves since Roglič's jump.
Almeida is back!
He goes to the front of the group. Thomas at the rear of the trio.
800m to go for the podium trio.
They catch Pronskiy.
Arensman has battled his way back! Wow.
Caruso is with him.
Up front, Buitrago rounds out five-and-a-half hours in the saddle.
Finish
A 33.5kph average speed today.
Roglič leads the group into the final 500 metres.
Thomas goes!
Roglič reacts!
Nobody else can match them as Gee finishes in second almost a minute down.
Thomas is dropping Roglič inside the final 300 metres.
He's done! Thomas is away.
They catch Cort in the final metres.
Roglič gets a second wind and comes past!
Maybe a second or two at the line for Roglič.
Almeida leads Caruso and Arensman home at around 20 seconds down.
Pinot another 7 or 8 seconds down.
Rubio next.
Roglič reportedly took three seconds on Thomas at the line.
Dunbar pushing on now.
He finishes around three minutes down so something like 1:15 down on Thomas and Roglič.
Santiago Buitrago celebrates his win, his second at WorldTour level after winning at Lavarone last May.
Eurosport comms saying "Tre Cime di Lavaredo didn't disappoint". I don't know about that... This hasn't been a Giro for the ages.
Roglič is reportedly 26 seconds down on Thomas heading into tomorrow's time trial. A three-second gain.
Here's what one of the heroes of the Giro, Derek Gee, said after the stage and another second place...
Roglič and Thomas battling to the finish.
Here's what stage 19 winner Santiago Buitrago had to say after his win...
Roglič leads Thomas through the crowds on the climb.
The top 20 on the stage.
Insightful stuff from Primož Roglič at the finish...
A look at the new GC standings.
Santiago Buitrago celebrates his stage win on the podium.
Another day in pink for Thomas – will we say the same tomorrow evening? He's 26 seconds up on Roglič.
Pinot back in blue, this time for good unless he leaves the race before Rome.
Jonathan Milan has the maglia ciclamino in the bag. He battled home in 117th from 125 today.
João Almeida might just have seen his chances of winning the Giro slip away today. He lies at 59 seconds down on Thomas.
A look at the test that awaits the riders on tomorrow's penultimate stage.
Of course, there's still plenty of news and reaction coming in from our men on the ground in Italy, Barry Ryan and Stephen Farrand. Look out for stories from all the big hitters of the Giro coming in through the evening.
But for now that's stage 19 wrapped. Check back tomorrow for more full live coverage of the stage 20 time trial to Monte Lussari!
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