Ponte di Legno (Italy) (AFP)

Once again, Vincenzo Nibali set fire to a winter Giro and caused the loss of the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, failing to leave Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz still in pink on Tuesday, after the 16th stage in Ponte di Legno.

The "Messina Shark", expert in finding or provoking openings, attacked from a distance, 36 kilometers from the finish, on the narrow and steep slopes of the Mortirolo. At the finish, where the stage victory came under a cold rain to the Italian Giulio Ciccone, he took over a minute and a half to Roglic, who preceded him in the standings.

Now second in the Giro, Nibali remains however at 1 min 47 sec Carapaz, which held the shock in the Mortirolo, one of the most feared passes of the peninsula. On his attack, the Sicilian took a handful of seconds in Carapaz, less bleeding apparently than at the end of last week but still effective.

The Ecuadorian, on the eve of celebrating his 26th birthday, relied on the Spaniard Mikel Landa, transformed once again into a luxury lieutenant. He always kept in focus Nibali and was able to make the junction, in the light of the headlights of the following cars, before the summit, in the rain that then fell on the end of the race.

In the descent, no member of this group (Carapaz, Landa, Nibali, Carthy, Amador) took risks. But the gap, reduced to less than a minute on Roglic at the bottom of the descent, has again grown on the false flat amount of 15 kilometers to the finish.

- By snapping teeth -

Strategist and experienced rider (to think about eating and putting on protective clothing in good time), Nibali used in the final the work of his team-mate Damiano Caruso, launched as a scout in the breakaway. For the benefit of Carapaz, author of a faultless recovery day after rest.

"It was a very complicated stage, because of the weather and the altitude difference (4800 m)," said Carapaz as he reached the podium. "As a team, we worked very well for Mikel Landa and myself, which is another good day in terms of overall results."

For the win of the stage, Ciccone has settled the Czech Jan Hirt, his last companion of a breakaway launched from the first hour in this milestone of 196 kilometers, very trying although amputated of the monumental Gavia (2618 m of altitude ) because of snow and the risk of avalanche. At 24, the wearer of the best climber's blue jersey won his second Giro success.

On Wednesday, survivors of the Giro, who for some have crossed the line with teeth, will reach the northernmost point of the race at the finish of the 17th stage, 181 kilometers between Comezzaddura and Anterselva.

The course, very rarely flat, however, avoids the high mountain and ends with a rise of 5.5 kilometers (to 6.9%) until the biathlon stage of the station, near the Austrian border.

? 2019 AFP