Breakaway Hopes Dashed as GC Contenders Light It Up in Castelnovo ‘ne Monti
Stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia looked tailor-made for a breakaway, and with breakaway wins proving rare in this year’s race, many were eager to make the move. As a result, a clear group didn’t form until the base of the Category 1 Alpe San Pellegrino. Eventually, a 37-rider group established a narrow lead of under a minute, but the demanding climb quickly fractured the mix of climbers and sprinters. Though Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen and Mathias Vacek were distanced on the ascent, their early buffer helped them stay within striking distance. They rejoined the peloton on the descent, preserving hopes for a stage result and crucially, supporting their GC leader Giulio Ciccone.
Meanwhile, the remnants of the breakaway hovered just over two minutes ahead. Once back in the bunch, Pedersen, wearing the purple jersey as points classification leader, delivered on his promise to work for the team. He drove a fierce pace that slashed the gap before Patrick Konrad took over, keeping the pressure high and eventually reeling in the escapees.
The stage’s decisive move came 9km from the finish, when Richard Carapaz (EF) launched a bold solo attack. As the GC group hesitated, the Ecuadorian built a sufficient gap to hold off the chase to the line. Behind, the fight for remaining podium places and bonus seconds was on. Positioned well by Vacek, Ciccone sprinted to third place, narrowly beaten by Maglia Rosa Del Toro. The effort earned Ciccone four bonus seconds, moving him up to seventh overall in the general classification.
Today was a tough stage. I have to thank Mads and all my teammates, they did a great job. Carapaz went very fast, so there's nothing to say, he was absolutely the strongest. The last climb wasn't very steep, so it was a climb where you had to go very fast. The Giro is still long, the legs are good, the team is great, so we are very confident. - Ciccone
