“I was overwhelmed by emotion – said Vincenzo Nibali just after winning in the French Alps – and so I cried. It hasn’t been a Giro d’Italia easy for me, but there is still one stage and I’ll try until the end. “
“Climbing the Colle dell’Agnello – he continued – I did not feel 100% then I unlocked and I thought I could make a great exploit. I have to thank all my teammates who have made this victory possible. “
Nibali has tripped on the final climb to the finish in Risoul and soon left all opponents coming to the finish line solo with 53 “ahead of the Colombian Estevan Chaves.
The new overall standings to first place precisely Chaves followed by Nibali at 44 seconds.
“We expect the last mountain stage – commented sport director Alexander Shefer – and now the GC has reopened. We are calm and aware that we can do well.”
Nibali, Chaves, Kruijswijk
Tomorrow, the twentieth stage from Guillestre to Sant’Anna di Vinadio. A short stages across the Alps features a remarkable 4,100m rise and drop in as little as 134km, with a sequence of four climbs and three descents. The route climbs up Col de Vars (19km), Col de la Bonette (22km), Col de la Lombarde (20km) and the final 2.3km leading to the Sant’Anna Sanctuary with gradients ranging from 9% to 11%
