Welcome to our live coverage from stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia. We're back in the mountains and heading into the Alps for the first of our two days of climbing before the finish in Turin. Today starts the final set of chances for the GC riders to improve their places in the overall standings.
Here's how the battle for the pink jersey sits ahead of today's stage.
Kruijswijk has looked unbreakable in the last week, and throughout the race in truth, climbing and time trial superbly and not flinching when Valverde, Chaves and Nibali have attacked him. He's looked equal to, if not better than anything that's been thrown at him.
We're about 20 minutes from the start of the stage, the riders already starting to gather on the startline. Kruijswijk in pink looks as relaxed as ever. Today's a huge day for him in term of his career. In some ways the pressure is on his rivals, they're the ones that need to attack and roll the dice.
In the KOM competition Cunego has a healthy lead.
The peloton have rolled out from the start to begin the 162km to Risoul. We've been there before, in the Tour of de France of course in 2014, when Rafa Majka won the stage. Steven Kruijswijk was in the break that day as a matter of fact but was unable to contest for the stage win.
It's a fairly flat start to the stage and we don't really start to climb until the first major ascent of the stage.
We can expect another break to form early on today, with riders willing and certainly needing to make it into the moves in order to come away with something from there Giro. As ever ever there a number of teams who haven't won a stage, or really featured on the podium.
We're through the neutralised zone already but we're still awaiting the attacks. It will be interesting to see if Cunego looks to make it into the break in order to try and soak up more KOM points. His decision may depend on if any of rivals decide to go up the road. The Italian would obviously like to win a stage but perhaps he's realised that he doesn't quite have the legs and that the KOM is the best priority. Being first over the first climb of the day would be a special moment for him though.
LottoNL are patrolling near the front of the peloton at the moment, just keeping tabs on riders and who might try and make a move. None of the GC guys will but some of their teammates might, with Astana and Movistar set to try and isolate the maglia rosa before the final climb.
A rather interesting dynamic in the teams classification though. Cannondale moved up to second yesterday, cutting the gap to Astana - who are still top - from 24 to 12 minutes. The American team have some history in winning team prizes in Grand Tours, so do Astana, but this could be an key plot it today's action.
Astana will surely give it one last roll of the dice with Nibali today and will therefore spend men on the climb. That means if Cannondale sit tight and ride intelligently then they can move up and cut the twelve minute gap.
And Astana have already gone on the attack, sending Kangert up the road but he and another rider have been brought back.
The pace is certainly high though and riders are already being distanced. This is going to be utter carnage if they keep this up.
Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal) is the latest to try and break free though and he's joined by several others. The big Dane is the perfect rider to follow when it comes to forming an early break, such huge horsepower.
It doesn't work out for Lars Bak, and the peloton are back to together, having already covered 16km of today's stage. Just under 150km to go.
Another 13 riders have gone clear, just inside 20km of the stage. They only have a handful of seconds though, with the peloton reluctant to let anything go clear in these early stages.
The road is about to gently descend but a shallow climb in the next few kilometres. It could be there that an attack is formed and a break push clear of the peloton. The attacks keep coming but each one is quickly caught in turn.
13 riders attack... 13 riders are caught. The peloton all as one after 28km of racing. They can't keep this up all the way until the first climb, surely?
127km remaining from 162km
The wall-banked climb of Agnello is fast approaching as we cover 40km of the stage in well under and hour. There's still no let up in the attacks but the peloton want to keep things together. The entire race is going to split to pieces on the climb, that's for sure.
A reminder of where things stand coming into the race:
I'd like to tell you more about the race and what's going on but at the moment we've simply had the same situation for the last hour - rider after rider, break after break, Belkov the latest, trying to go clear before it's all brought back by the peloton.
Could this be a move that sticks? Verona and Denilf skipping clear with around 50km of the stage covered already. One would expect more riders to try and bridge up and create a larger move.
The pair have 18 seconds. That the best we've seen so far in the stage in terms of riders creating a buffer over the peloton.
Both Verona and Denilf are over an hour down on GC and are no threat to the maglia rosa. However... Denifl is second on the KOM competition.
The peloton have reacted and chased the move down, so once again we're back together as the road now starts to climb.
The GC contenders have moved up towards the front of the pack with their domestiques huddled around them. Think West Side story, or that scene from Anchorman. 'if you're going to have a fight, don't forget Cannondale, with me Rigoberto Uran' or words to that effect. Lets just hope Dombrowski isn't packing a trident.
Another group have tried to go clear. This time it's Kudus, Thomson and Rybalkin.
You know what's coming don't you? That's right, the group is all back together as the road continues to climb.
Johan Van Zyl has gone clear, and he holds a 14 second lead over the peloton. Have they switched off?
92km remaining from 162km
At the intermediate sprint it's Ulissi who comes out on top for Lampre Merida.
The peloton is starting to lose riders out the back as the gradient continues to rise up. Kruijswijk present and accounted for near the front, along with several of his teammates. Astana and Movistar are at the front too, along with Chaves, and Majka who won in Risoul is there too.
We finally have a break:
Four riders from Team Sky, three from Movistar and one from Astana. Moser is there too, as is Cunego.
77km remaining from 162km
So just over 73 km to go, 28 riders in the break and the gap is moving out to nearly four minutes.
Despite the gap there's little collaboration the break as Wyss sets the pace for his teammate Denifl. Boswell is near the front for Team Sky but just taps through as he takes a turn. The gap has gone out to 4'30 , so the peloton must almost be at a standstill.
LottoNL are on the front setting the pace for the magalia rosa as we see Moser slipping back from the break.
67km remaining from 162km
No Cuneno, repeat no Cunego in the break so that's a blow to his KOM jersey chances. He'll have to rely on others stopping Denifl on the climb. Ulissi has started setting the pace at the front of the break.
The peloton have just gone through the feedzone but up ahead the break is starting to splinter all over the road. Ulissi has attacked and gone clear, while Scarponi sets the pace for the rest of the break. Now Scarponi has surged clear too.
Ulissi has now been joined by Scarponi and a rider from Katusha - the peloton is at 4'55. It's Silin from Katusha as the Astana man goes right to the front and starts to set the pace. He really wants the Cima Coppi.
Scarponi wants the climb and he wants the stage, going clear with still some 63km to go.
Ulissi hasn't give up as we continue to climb and he's going after the Astana rider as Team Sky cut the break down to less than a dozen riders.
Scarponi 'won' the Giro d'Italia back in 2011. In the last few years he's moved to Astana and ridden for Nibali. This is a chance for him to take the Cima Coppi and possibly the stage. Team Sky, they let him go, and they're trying to react by setting the pace at the front of the break. Not sure who they are working for though, Nieve, Roche, Boswell or Lopez.
Lots of cyclists out today and that was taken near the top of climb we're on now. Scarponi has 5'11 on the bunch as the Astana car comes up to him. Ulissi is still plugging away but he's losing ground on the Astana rider. The break is down to 11 men, with Bram Tankink setting the pace at the front of the peloton.
We're onto the snow-banked sections of the climb and the mist has descended. Ulissi is finding his rhythm as the road gently eases off for him. We've still 60km to go, but Scarponi has 6'35 on the bunch. Astana's first stage win of the race, perhaps?
60km remaining from 162km
Kruijswijk has no teammates. One attack and they're all gone.
Chaves has one man on the front and Majka is struggling. Uran is losing ground too.
The entire peloton has been blown apart on the climb. We're left with Chaves, Kruijswijk and Valverde. Nibali and the rest have all been dropped.
And it's Chaves is still the pace with the maglia rosa in second wheel, Valverde hanging on. Nibali and the rest of the top ten contenders are losing ground.
In the second group of GC men we have Majka, Zakarin and Nibali. They are coming back but they're going to pay for this effort.
The GC groups join up but we're missing Jungels and Uran. We've still got 58km to go. Up ahead and Scarponi just plugs away and sets his own tempo.
The attacks have seen Scarponi lose some of his advantage but he still has 5'52 on the maglia rosa group. A few more riders have joined the Kruijswijk group but he's still without a teammate. At the moment, I'm not sure that actually matters as he looks so comfortable.
Atamupa catches the GC mob and attacks, just as Pozzovivo, Amador and Jungels regain contact with Kruijswijk.
Dombrowski and few other Cannondale riders have also made contact with the maglia rosa group as Atapuma creates a 15 second gap for himself. Jungels is setting the pace for Kruijswijk. Unclear as to why he's doing that to be honest. He wants to set a pace that's steady, sure, but Katusha have a spare man, Tinkoff too. Make them do it.
Further up the climb and Ulissi has been caught by the Team Sky train of Boswell, Nieve, but Monfort is there.
Chaves accelerates again but Kruijswijk just closes the move with such ease.
A gaggle of riders are once again dropped by the GC men as Chaves sets the pace. Nibali closes this move and a few others follow, including Valverde and Zakarin.
Valverde is cracking and losing ground with Jungels. Nibali can see an opening if he rides well.
56km remaining from 162km
Nibali can see that Valverde has been dropped and he takes over from Chaves. Up ahead and Boswell leads the break but Scarponi is still leading the stage as he closes in on the top of the climb.
Valverde has linked up with Uran but they're losing ground as Nibali continues to set the pace for him, Kruijswijk, Majka and Chaves.
Scarponi goes over the top of the climb first. The peloton are at 5'19 as we see Majka trying to come back to the maglia rosa group. He was off the back.
Nieve goes over the climb second, 1'27 behind Scarponi.
Nibali has a teammate from the break now and he's burying himself for his Italian team leader. Valverde has lost 40 seconds on the magalia rosa already.
51km remaining from 162km
Nibali puts on a jacket for the descent, as Chaves takes a bottle. Valverde is a full minute down on his GC rivals. he should be able to close some of that as more riders join his group on the descent.
Kruijswijk
Kruijswijk has crashed on the descent and into the snow.
He needs a bike change. That's done but he needs another I think.
He doesnt look hurt but that was a spectacular crash. Nibali and Chaves, they will wait for the race leader, I'm sure.
The leading three were taking a corner and the race leader simply ran out of road, hitting the snow bank hard on his right side.
Nibali is charging down the descent and Chaves on his wheel. Plaza is about to link up with them as well having been in the break. Nibali doesnt seem like he's waiting. He will argue that he wants to put time in Valverde.
Scarponi pulls up the team car 'anything going on the race behind?'
The Valverde group are closing in on Nibali according to the time checks, the gap around 35 seconds.
Zakarin has crashed. He's on the side of the road and there are medical staff with him.
I didnt see the fall but that crash looked serious as he fell on the descent.
41km remaining from 162km
Chaves has put Plaza on the front of his group and Nibali has got rid of his jacket after the bulk of the descent.
We're being shown images of Zakarin. We are hearing the rider is conscious but has broken a collarbone.
Zakarin out of the race if those reports are accurate. We're just glad that he's conscious as that was a very serious fall on the descent.
Nibali and Chaves have 1'20 on Kruijswijk with 35km to go. The race lead is safe for now but there's still 35km to go in the stage.
Valverde has Majka, and Uran with him, and they've gone passed Kruijswijk who is losing more and more time. A Cannondale rider goes passed him like he's standing still on the descent.
Kruijswijk is very lucky. He won't see it that way but that crash was at such speed and right into the snow bank. He could have been seriously hurt.
Broken left collar bone for Zakarin we are hearing. Apparently Scarponi has been called back to help Nibali.
30km remaining from 162km
Kruijswijk has linked up with a group that contains Jungels. So he has an ally in working together. Can he rescue the situation from here?
Scarponi links up with Nibali as Monfort is now leading the race ahead of the remnants of the early break. Groups all over the road but Kruijswijk is still around two minutes don on Chavez and Nibali. He came into the stage three minutes ahead of the Orica rider.
In one group we have Amador, Uran, Valverde and Majka, they have 50 seconds on the maglia rosa/Jungels group.
There's no time gap on Monfort to the Boswell group as we see Kruijswijk set a frantic pace. He is pulling to back together but he's having to do so much work while Nibali and Chaves are being pulled along by teammates.
Valverde has limited his loses well and is 25 seconds off the Nibali/Chaves group.
Kruijswijk continues to pull back time before we hit Risoul too. He's 1'10 off the Valverde group.
16km remaining from 162km
16km remaining from 162km
Chaves and Nibali still have two minutes on Kruijswijk as we approach the final climb of the stage. Monfort you would expect will be caught. He's only got a minute on the next group.
He's losing time and we could see Kruijswijk lose the jersey today. It's moving out to 2'30 between him and the chaves, Nibali group.
We're now climbing and Plaza hits the climb with Scarponi taking over.
Etixx have lent Kruijswijk a hand here as they work for Jungels but it might not be enough. Scarponi is turning the screw and leading Nibali and Chaves on the climb.
Now Jungles leads the maglia rosa onto the climb, and they are combining well together.
Kruijswijk has only 20 seconds of his lead left as he starts to climb.
10km remaining from 162km
The Ulissi and Nibali groups merged as Valverde starts to lose a bit more time on the climb, the gap at 1'09, Kruijswijk is at 2'20 with 9,9km to go.
Jugels, riding so well, has Kruijswijk on his wheel and they're clawing back time with 9.4km to go. Scarponi continues to lead the race for Nibali.
And Nibali attacks with Chaves and Nieve. The group have been blown apart.
Brutal. You really have to feel for him because Kruijswijk has been dropped by Jungels.
The race leader is in even more trouble now. 8.5km to go and he's 2'25 down on Nibali and Chaves. His shoulders have started to drop. He's got nothing left.
Kruijswijk looks down at his gears but there's nothing left as Chaves just follows Nibali.
Down the road Majka is working well with Valverde but it's really about Nibali and Chaves putting more and more time in Kruijswijk.
Kruijswijk is holding pink by 6 seconds but we've still got 7km to go of climbing. At this rate the gap could be close to five minutes. Kruijswijk is digging deep though, trying to just keep it together.
Ulissi has made it back to the front trio. Impressive effort from the Italian who could win today at this rate. You can right anything off.
5km remaining from 162km
5km remaining from 162km
Nibali has attacked for a second time and now he is clear and leading the stage. The Giro d'Italia has been turned on its head today. Nibali is riding up in GC as Chaves tries to come back. Kruijswijk is at 2'52.
Nibali wore yellow on here in 2014 and he's riding himself back into the frame here at the Giro. He's the strongest rider today and he's putting major time into Valverde now who is at 1'48. Kruijswijk at 2'55.
Kruijswijk loses a few more seconds, the gap at 3'17. Nibali is back, isnt he? Chaves though is still holding the Astana man at 100 meters.
3km remaining from 162km
Nibali is about to hit the hardest part of the climb as he heads towards the stage win. Chaves accelerates and tries to respond but the gap continues to grown.
The Astana leader takes on a bottle as Nieve comes back and catches Chaves. Chaves wants help and the Team Sky rider comes through and takes a turn.
Just over 1K to go on the stage and Nibali continues to gain time on his rivals. It looks like Chaves will pull on pink so he just needs to limit his loses to Nibali and then continue to gain time on Kruijswijk, who is now nearly four minutes down.
Nibali comes to the line and takes the stage win. He may even move up to second overall. He wins stage 19 and he takes the 10 second bonus. The Shark is back.
Start the clock.
Nieve has dropped Chaves and he'll take second. At the line Chaves is third at, 51 seconds.
Ulissi takes fourth on the stage as we look down the mountain at Valverde and Majka who have just looked to limit their loses. Kruijswijk is even further back as we see Nibali in tears at the line.
Nibali moves ahead of GC against Valverde, who comes over the line at 2'11.
Rider trickle over the line in ones and twos. Kruijswijk is coming to the line but he's going to lose over four minutes today. He could be fourth overall in fact.
Confirmed: Chaves is in pink for tomorrow's penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia.
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
2 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Team Sky
3 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-GreenEdge
4 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida
5 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff Team
6 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
8 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Alpecin
9 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
4'54 for Kruijswijk. Chaves leads the race by 44 seconds over Nibali.
And here is the new GC after the most dramatic stage of this year's race by far:
Valverde has told reporters at the finish that he was unaware that Kruijswijk has crashed. He will be aware, however, that he's been pushed off the podium.
Kruijswijk as you can imagine is distraught, his hands over the bars as he slumps at the finish line. His crash on the descent of the Cima Coppi has destroyed his race. It's not over, but what a huge, huge blow.
And here are the GC standings after today's stage:
1 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-GreenEdge 78:14:20
2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:40
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:05
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:48
5 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff Team 0:03:59
6 Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:07:53
7 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:09:34
8 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:12:18
9 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Dimension Data 0:13:19
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:14:11
Vinokourov:
White:
So White thinks that he and Chaves just have one man to mark tomorrow. It should make for a thrilling mountain finale. Have we seen the last of Kruijswijk though or can he bounce back?
Kruijswijk's crash on the descent changed the entire race but it was Orica who kicked things off on the first climb with Chaves, Nibali and Kruijswijk going clear as Valverde and Majka faltered.
Despite making to back to a group that included Bob Jungels, Kruijswijk continued to lose time and the writing was on the wall when the Etixx rider dropped him on the climb up to Risoul.
Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge) - new race leader:
Dimitri Konyshev (Katusha team director):
Vincenzo Nibali:
For the latest on Zakarin, please click here. We will update the story with more information as we get it.
You can find our report, results and photos from today's epic stage, right here.
Thanks for joining us today, we'll be back tomorrow with the final day in the mountain of this year's Giro d'Italia.
Before we go, actually, you can also find the results from the US national TT championships here.
Bauke Mollema @BaukeMollema 55m55 minutes ago
Jonathan Vaughters @Vaughters 1h1 hour ago
Thanks for you patience. We now have full results for the stage.
That really is it from us today. Catch you tomorrow.
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