Giro d'Italia: Chris Froome conquers Monte Zoncolan

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Chris Froome (Team Sky) took victory on stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia, crossing the line alone atop the fearsome Monte Zoncolan, after an attack 4.3km from the finish. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) finished second, six seconds back, while Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida) rounded out the top three, finishing 23 seconds down.

After an incredible effort from Team Sky - notably Wout Poels - on the lower half of the day’s final climb, it was Froome who struck first from the GC group. He went with 4.3km remaining, and there was simply no response.

The four-time Tour de France champion hung around a dozen seconds off the front until Yates responded a kilometre later. What followed was a slow-motion time trial as Yates attempted to chip away at the slim lead. Further down the mountain, defending champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) sought to limit his losses, riding steadily with Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) stuck to his wheel.

Ultimately, Yates couldn’t quite make it across to his countryman, but after two stage wins already in this Giro he will be happy to take yet more time from Dumoulin.

“It’s a really, really special feeling winning up on top of the climb today,” said Froome after the finish. “It’s such a good feeling, especially after a really hard start to this race. The team has supported me so well in this last two weeks, so to get the victory today really means a lot.”

“I felt like [4km to go] was the moment that the race was really on the limit, and I felt that was the moment for me to go,” he added. “Wout [Poels] had done a big effort and made it really hard up to that point. Right to the line Simon was just behind me - it was such a relief to get to that last 100 metres and hear that I was going to win the stage.”

With Dumoulin finishing 37 seconds behind Froome, and taking into account Yates’ time bonus, the Dutchman’s GC deficit is now 1:24. Pozzovivo lies third, 1:37 down, while Froome’s victory vaults him to fifth overall, 3:10 behind Yates.

How it happened

Stage 14 saw a return to the mountains - proper this time, as the race headed to the Carnic Alps and the infamous Monte Zoncolan. Despite its reputation, it’s only the sixth time the Giro d’Italia has used the mountain, with the first coming in 2003.

Four classified climbs lay before the big finale. First up at 43.3km, the category three Monte di Ragogna (2.8km at 10.3%), then another category three climb at Avaglio (4.5km at 7%), 105.5km in. The second category Passo Duron (4.4km at 9.6%) came 142.1km into the stage - 39km from the finish, before the penultimate test of Sella Valcalda (7.6km at 5.6%) coming 20km before the line. Two intermediate sprints were sandwiched in at 57.8km and 138.1km.

Of course, the Zoncolan - maybe the toughest climb in world cycling - was the day’s main attraction. A banner bearing the words ‘La porta dell’inferno’ [the door to hell] greeted the riders as they left Ovaro, before climbing 10.1km at an average of 11.9 per cent. An inhuman 5km at 15.3 per cent marked the hardest stretch of the climb, with gradients hitting 22 per cent in places.

Before all that though, there was the matter of the breakaway to sort out. The day’s first climb of Monte di Ragogna saw Valerio Conti (UAE-Team Emirates) and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) go on the attack, quickly gaining time as a small chase group formed.

Within 10km, Francesco Gavazzi (Androni-Sidermec), Enrico Barbin (Bardiani-CSF), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale), Laurent Didier (Trek-Segafredo) and Jacopo Mosca (Wilier-Selle Italia) made it across. The break’s advantage maxed out at six minutes, but with Mitchelton-Scott massed on the front of the peloton it wouldn’t be a day for the escapees as it was during the last two visits.

The tricky Passo Duron saw the break fracture as Sunweb and Astana took to the head of the peloton, cutting the gap to four minutes. Up front, Conti took maximum points over Ragogna and Sella Valcalda, with the Italian only having compatriot Barbin for company as they began the descent into Ovaro a minute ahead of the peloton.

The first action of Zoncolan saw 2011 winner Igor Anton (Dimension Data) launch a sentimental attack 9km from the summit. Conti was caught a few kilometres later as the gradient bit as Wout Poels (Team Sky) pulled at the front of the peloton, catching a Michael Woods (EF-Drapac) attack.

With Poels pulling off at 4.3km to go, it was up to teammate Froome to launch.

The embattled Brit, who lay 3:20 down on Yates at the start of day, got away on his own while a chase group of Pozzovivo, Yates and Miguel Ángel López (Astana) formed a handful of seconds behind. Dumoulin looked steady but was losing time to his rivals - around 20 seconds - as Yates headed off in pursuit at the 3km banner.

Heading into the famous tunnels in the final kilometre, Yates had Froome in his sights, and Dumoulin some 30 seconds behind him, but fell just short of closing the gap. The Sky leader took the stage, and with it went some way to salvaging his Giro d’Italia.

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