Almeida withstands Kelderman's attack on the last peak before the Alps

The high mountain arrived and the Giro general began to clear.

The Piancavallo sieve, aperitif of the Alps, left a clearer classification.

The ascent to the port, 14 kilometers in length and 7.8% of average slope, was a good aperitif for the tremendous week ahead, with snow-capped mountains and adverse weather conditions.

Something that, for the moment, does not worry

too much

, the leader who today, in an admirable exercise of resistance, knew how to hold the privileged position after an attack by

.

A day in which

suffered to withstand the acceleration of the strongest.

The Basque lost the third place to the benefit of

, winner of the day, who welded himself to the wheel of the German to overcome him in the last 200 meters.

Piancavallo, a place of fond memory for Spanish cycling,

prevailed there

in the 2017 edition, a triumph that then earned him to consolidate himself as the best climber of the Italian round, was the culmination of an appointment with constant battle, with skirmishes of adventurers, such as

,

,

or

, and problems for some candidates.

suffered a mechanical breakdown that forced him to make an extra effort to connect with the group of the best in the general classification.

was left without two important squires:

and

.

and

falls

.

Meanwhile, Kelderman's Sunweb pressed to wear down Almeida and neutralize the escapees, who had a four-minute lead on the penultimate climb.

In the ascent to Piancavallo, Astana assumed command, but its leader, Fulgsang, soon gave way. Nibali and Pello Bilbao also gave in.

The Sicilian and the Basque grouped together with

to lose as little as possible.

The leader, Almeida, held on with nine kilometers to go to the top, but two kilometers later he lost contact with the German, with his squire

and Tao Geoghegan.

The Portuguese knew how to dose the efforts.

Alone, without gregarious, puffing, with his tongue out, he endured the punishment.

He climbed without losing his composure, seeing the escapees in the distance.

The Portuguese was admirable, a versatile guy, who lost half a minute with 2.7 kilometers to go.

Kelderman, always preceded by Hindley, got on the train, without sudden accelerations.

Progressively limiting the 56 seconds of income that he lost with the Portuguese before the start of the stage.

The German, who was lacking, to give a definitive blow of authority, surpassed the leader in 37 seconds, which added to the bonus, remains only 15 seconds behind the lead.

Head tight, with Geoghegan waiting.

Today and tomorrow, a new number of PCR controls, which will be announced before Tuesday's departure, in Udine and with arrival in San Daniele del Friuli.

A barrage of positives could lead to a hasty conclusion to the race, something that would upset

, director of the Corsa Rosa.

A circumstance that would punish cycling and that would elevate the suffered Almeida as the accidental winner.

But those are assumptions, undesirable hypotheses.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

2020 Giro d'Italia Geraint Thomas, Froome's defenestrated friend, seeks revenge

Giro d'Italia 2020Joao Almeida reinforces himself against the clock before the high mountains

Giro d'Italia 2020The Portuguese Guerreiro snatches the victory from Castroviejo, the most generous gregarious

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