Madonna di Campiglio (Italy) (AFP)

In majesty, the Stelvio stands before the Portuguese Joao Almeida, still leading the Giro after the 17th stage won by the Australian Ben O'Connor on Wednesday in the Madonna di Campiglio resort.

To win the Giro d'Italia, Sunday in Milan, Almeida must resist along the grandiose laces of the Italian pass, one of the highest in Europe at an altitude of 2758 meters, its freezing descent by very low temperatures then finally the final ascent to the Cancano lakes.

For the Portuguese, in pink since the 3rd stage, the queen stage serves as a decisive test since the other big high mountain stage on Saturday lost most of its character by giving up the foray into France.

The director of the Giro Mauro Vegni formalized this change of course on Wednesday because of the provisions related to Covid-19.

Without the Agnel, the giant border pass with France which is the equivalent of the Stelvio in terms of altitude and alpine character, and the Izoard, one of the historic passes of the Tour de France, the penultimate stage is cut off from its two great difficulties.

For the wearer of the pink jersey, who struggled in the ascent Sunday to Piancavallo, the news is timely.

Almeida winner of the Giro at 22 and for his first Grand tour?

"If he passes tomorrow ...", commented Mauro Vegni.

"It's possible," replied the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), David Lappartient, on a visit to the pink race.

- O'Connor forgets bitterness -

"There is only tomorrow (Thursday) to make the difference and overthrow the Giro", insisted Mauro Vegni to the climbers.

Even if the director of the Tour of Italy did not want to underestimate the triple climb of Sestriere to come on Saturday, in a stage which will show 4,000 meters of vertical drop (instead of the 5,400 m initially expected).

All are aware of the importance of the queen stage which prompted the contenders for the reserve on Wednesday in the climb to Madonna di Campiglio.

Apart from two accelerations from the two riders of the Sunweb team, the Australian Jai Hindley and the Dutch Wilco Kelderman, quickly repressed by Almeida who then called his lieutenant, the Italian Fausto Masnada, to regulate the pace.

"I had the perfect team with me", commented the Portuguese, imperturbable, after this stage with the predictable scenario, with a new breakaway river (19 riders) which ended with the success of the beaten of the day before.

Surprised by Slovenian Jan Tratnik in San Daniele del Friuli on Tuesday, O'Connor attacked this time 9 kilometers from the finish and preceded Austrian Hermann Pernsteiner, a Tratnik teammate, by around thirty seconds.

"My second place had left me quite bitter. Today I was able to bounce back", welcomed the Australian born 24 years ago in the vicinity of Perth and revealed in 2018 by his success in a mountain stage of the Tour of the Alps in front of Thibaut Pinot.

O'Connor, at the end of his contract, gave the NTT team its first success in the Giro since 2017. For the South African team, the future uncertain due to the withdrawal of its sponsor at the end of the season. year, the gift is appreciable.

© 2020 AFP