Giro d'Italia: Ewan pips Gaviria to win stage 7

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Caleb Ewan won a photo finish sprint on Friday's seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia. The Orica-Scott rider nosed out Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) and Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) at the line in Alberobello after 224 kilometres of racing. There was no change in the overall standings, with Quick-Step's Bob Jungels maintaining his position atop the GC leaderboard.

The stage saw a breakaway survive for well over 200 kilometres, with Giuseppe Fonzi (Wilier Trestina) and Dimitri Kozonchuk (Gazprom-Rusvelo) holding out with a gap that never reached five minutes before the pack reeled in the move to set up a bunch kick.

The sprinters' teams set up their trains with 10 kilometres to go, but the narrow roads and many curves, taken at a fast pace, derailed most of them. Bora was going for the win with Bennett and opened the sprint. Ewan passed Bennett for the lead and within sight of the finish line, Gaviria came up on the left-hand side to challenge. The three crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, necessitating a look at the finish photo, which proved Ewan the winner.

"It's been a little bit difficult for us in the first part of the Giro d'Italia. I came close and guys worked really hard, so I'm happy to finally win," Ewan said after crossing the line.

"It was a really close sprint. I had to do some work with three kilometres to go so I was a little tired for the sprint. But Luka [Mezgec] did a great lead out, so it was perfect."

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How it unfolded

Hollywood came to the Giro for stage 7 with Patrick Dempsey visiting the race as a guest. The American actor was allowed to ride through the bunch during the neutralized zone before the flag was dropped and hostilities began.

Stage 7 was also the second longest of the Giro, winding its way north along Italy's eastern coast. It started with a descent and then went into an extended flat section of over 100 kilometers.

Perhaps realizing the potential for boredom along the way, three riders got away near the start. Fonzi, Kozonchuk and Simone Ponzi (CCC) were the lucky ones to make the escape, however, after only 39 kilometres Ponzi sat up, leaving just two riders at the head of the race.

The remaining two stayed away but the field kept them close, never allowing the gap to get much above the 4:30 mark.

That was the story for most of the stage. After several hours, the terrain became rolling and shortly after 150 kilometres, the riders reached the day's only ranked climb. Fonzi took the points on the Cat. 4 Bosco della Pianelle ahead of Kozonchuk. Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates led the peloton across a few minutes later to add to his lead in the KOM standings.

By the time the two leaders hit the second intermediate sprint at after 167 kilometres, which Kozonchuk won, the gap had dropped to 2:20. And as at the first sprint, Gaviria jumped to take the points for third place.

From there the gap kept on dropping, going under two minutes with less than 27 kilometres to go. Only eight kilometres later the two shook hands, sat up and let themselves be swallowed up by the bunch.

Movistar, Bahrain-Merida and Orica-Scott moved up in full force to the front, with Quick-Step and Lotto Soudal keeping an eye on them. Once inside the 10 kilometre marker, the sprint trains started forming, with Bora-Hansgrohe and Orica leading the way.

It was a difficult finale, with a town circuit with narrow roads and bends. Kristian Koren of Cannondale jumped with about 3.5 kilometres to go, but was caught again at the three-kilometre marker.

The last kilometre introduced a narrower road, with a sharp right hand turn at 500 metres. Bora led the way but Ewan jumped to the lead around the final corner. Gaviria came up at full speed out of nowhere, and three riders hit the line together for a photo finish – Gaviria, Ewan and Bennett. The photo showed that Ewan had the win by a few centimetres.

The high-speed finale saw a very small split after the top six riders – none of them GC contenders – crossed the line. Jungels finished safely in the peloton to hold onto the pink jersey for another day.

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