Gorizia (Italy) (AFP)
The Belgian Victor Campenaerts (Qhubeka), holder of the hour record, won the 15th stage of the cycling Tour of Italy on Sunday in Gorizia (north-east), a border town with Slovenia.
The Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos) kept the leader's pink jersey on the eve of the great mountain stage of the Dolomites.
In front of a crowd that came en masse, Campenaerts concluded a breakaway without consequences for the peloton, which gave them a lead of around a quarter of an hour.
The Belgian, very active, sprinted ahead of his last companion, the Dutchman Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Fenix), after a final troubled by a heavy downpour which soaked the road.
German Nikias Arndt (DSM) took third place, 7 seconds behind Cofidis' Italian Simone Consonni.
A breakaway has succeeded for the eighth time since the start of this edition of the Giro, in this 15th stage marked by a big crash shortly after the start of Grado.
The race was neutralized for almost half an hour to facilitate care for the many affected runners.
Four of them, including the German Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) who occupied sixth place in the standings, had to retire.
A group of 15 elements took the lead as soon as the second start was given to secure a comfortable lead and enter Slovenia ten minutes early.
On the cross-border circuit to be completed three times before the final leading to Gorizia, Campenaerts ended up finding the opening 22 kilometers from the finish and was followed only by Riesebeek and Spaniard Albert Torres (Movistar).
Aged 29, the Belgian, who has mostly won time trials in his career, won for the first time in the Giro.
He gave his South African team their third victory since the start after the Swiss Mauro Schmid (11th stage) and the Italian Giacomo Nizzolo (13th stage).
On Monday, the 16th stage includes three historic climbs between Sacile and Cortina d'Ampezzo over 212 kilometers.
La Fedaia, one of the most trying passes on the peninsula, the Pordoi, the "roof" of this edition of the Giro at 2,239 meters above sea level, and finally the Giau, are on the program for a day for which cold and rain are forecast.
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