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Geraint Thomas celebrates
Photo: Gian Mattia D'Alberto / AP
British professional cyclist Geraint Thomas is one step closer to overall victory at the 106th Giro d'Italia. On his 37th birthday, the 2018 Tour de France winner successfully defended the overall leader's pink jersey on the mountainous 18th stage from Oderzo to Val di Zoldo. At the same time as his rival Primoz Roglic, the top rider of Ineos Grenadiers crossed the finish line in eighth place, 1:56 minutes behind the day's winner Filippo Zana (Italy).
Bora-hansgrohe's Lennard Kämna continued to lose time, but consolidated his sixth place in the overall standings. The German hopeful finished 3th, 03:14 minutes behind Zana. In total, he is 4:27 minutes behind Thomas.
Roglic is 29 seconds behind
Roglic, who was considered the top favourite in the run-up to the Tour of Italy, initially looked like the loser of the day on the 161-kilometre stage and showed weaknesses in the first climbs of the day before the Slovenian from Team Jumbo-Visma turned up the heat late and secured seventh place ahead of Thomas. In the battle for Rosa, Roglic is now 29 seconds behind Thomas in second place.
The next difficult mountain stage will follow on Friday. The 19th and third-to-last stage before the finale in Rome on Sunday leads over 183 kilometers from Longarone to the Three Peaks in the Dolomites.
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