Silvan Dillier wins Giro d'Italia stage six from magnificent breakaway
BMC Racing's Silvan Dillier beat Trek Segafredo's Jasper Stuyven by just half a bike length to take his first Grand Tour stage win as the breakaway gallantly stayed out all day on stage six of the 2017 Giro d'Italia.
Stage six from Reggio Calabria to Terme Luigiane had been touted as a highly unpredictable race with scenarios and multiple possible winners, but it was a strong breakaway of young riders that managed to allude the peloton all day and resulted in a tight sprint finish between Dillier and Stuyven.
The initial break of five was whittled down to three in the last 10km - one being stage one's surprise winner, Lukas Postlberger - and as they began the steep climb into the finish at Terme Luigiane it became a question of who could launch their sprint most effectively.
Dillier proved too strong for Stuyven in the end and beat the Belgian by no more than half a bike length with third placed Postlberger 12 seconds in arrears.
"The harder the race is the easier it is for me", explained stage winner Dillier, "The final was really hard and Jasper Stuyven is a really strong rider and I had some concerns about him but to win in a sprint against him is crazy. It feels great!"
Third placed Postlberger was in reflective mood at the finish: "We had good ability, good legs and good engines. We timed it perfectly I think. We slowed down after the feed zone to save energy and it was enough to survive. I know I'm not as fast as Jasper or Silvan so I'm happy with third."
The top ten of general classification remains the same after all the main contenders finished with each other, 39 seconds behind Dillier.
In coming second on the stage, Stuyven moves to within three points of Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) in the maglia ciclamino.
The peloton was riding on the mainland for the first time this Giro, and for the first time this Giro also, the break took a long time to establish itself. Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven (both Trek Segafredo) and Simone Andreetta (Bardiani) were the men to go and were given over eight minutes leeway, given that Dillier was the highest rider on GC in the group but over 16 minutes behind the maglia rosa and therefore no threat to race leader, Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors)
Into the final 15km and the break still had three minutes on the peloton, and with the terrain getting lumpier, it was looking unlikely they would be caught.
However, with 8km remaining the gap began dropping, with the break losing a minute in just 3km and Cannondale-Drapac, UAE Team Emirates and Team Sunweb driving at the front of the peloton.
The break began to whittle down as the efforts of the day started to show. Pedersen came to a stand still on a climb with 6km to go and Andreetta dropped off the back soon after as Stuyven pushed on in earnest to keep the peloton away.
1.5km left for the break and Postlberger, Stuyven and Diller were desperately hanging on to their one minute 30 second gap with the last and steepest climb of the day into Terme Luigiane just up ahead.
As the trio entered the final 1km it was all but confirmed that the peloton wouldn't catch them and so began the mind games between the remaining players; who would go first and potentially blow their chances of the stage victory by going too early.
Dillier launched from behind Stuyven with 150 metres to go and was followed by the Belgian, with Postlberger spent from leading the group up the climb.
At first it looked like Diller had it at a cruise but in the final 100 metres Stuyven was almost even with him but the BMC man held on to take his first Grand Tour stage win by half a bike length.
Friday's stage seven takes the riders 224km from Castrovillari along the coast, before heading inland to the finish at Alberobello. The profile looks like another day for a potential breakaway win, but it's likely to be a finish that suits the sprinters.
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| Credit: eurosport.com |
The initial break of five was whittled down to three in the last 10km - one being stage one's surprise winner, Lukas Postlberger - and as they began the steep climb into the finish at Terme Luigiane it became a question of who could launch their sprint most effectively.
Dillier proved too strong for Stuyven in the end and beat the Belgian by no more than half a bike length with third placed Postlberger 12 seconds in arrears.
"The harder the race is the easier it is for me", explained stage winner Dillier, "The final was really hard and Jasper Stuyven is a really strong rider and I had some concerns about him but to win in a sprint against him is crazy. It feels great!"
Third placed Postlberger was in reflective mood at the finish: "We had good ability, good legs and good engines. We timed it perfectly I think. We slowed down after the feed zone to save energy and it was enough to survive. I know I'm not as fast as Jasper or Silvan so I'm happy with third."
The top ten of general classification remains the same after all the main contenders finished with each other, 39 seconds behind Dillier.
In coming second on the stage, Stuyven moves to within three points of Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) in the maglia ciclamino.
The peloton was riding on the mainland for the first time this Giro, and for the first time this Giro also, the break took a long time to establish itself. Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), Silvan Dillier (BMC), Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven (both Trek Segafredo) and Simone Andreetta (Bardiani) were the men to go and were given over eight minutes leeway, given that Dillier was the highest rider on GC in the group but over 16 minutes behind the maglia rosa and therefore no threat to race leader, Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors)
Into the final 15km and the break still had three minutes on the peloton, and with the terrain getting lumpier, it was looking unlikely they would be caught.
However, with 8km remaining the gap began dropping, with the break losing a minute in just 3km and Cannondale-Drapac, UAE Team Emirates and Team Sunweb driving at the front of the peloton.
The break began to whittle down as the efforts of the day started to show. Pedersen came to a stand still on a climb with 6km to go and Andreetta dropped off the back soon after as Stuyven pushed on in earnest to keep the peloton away.
1.5km left for the break and Postlberger, Stuyven and Diller were desperately hanging on to their one minute 30 second gap with the last and steepest climb of the day into Terme Luigiane just up ahead.
As the trio entered the final 1km it was all but confirmed that the peloton wouldn't catch them and so began the mind games between the remaining players; who would go first and potentially blow their chances of the stage victory by going too early.
Dillier launched from behind Stuyven with 150 metres to go and was followed by the Belgian, with Postlberger spent from leading the group up the climb.
At first it looked like Diller had it at a cruise but in the final 100 metres Stuyven was almost even with him but the BMC man held on to take his first Grand Tour stage win by half a bike length.
Friday's stage seven takes the riders 224km from Castrovillari along the coast, before heading inland to the finish at Alberobello. The profile looks like another day for a potential breakaway win, but it's likely to be a finish that suits the sprinters.
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