(Risoul, 27 May 2016 – Press Giro d’Italia) Pre-race favourite Vincenzo Nibali made up for his disappointment in the Dolomites by riding solo to victory at Risoul in French territory. Just behind him, Esteban Chaves dethroned Steven Kruijswijk who crashed in the descent from the Colle dell’Agnello and was taken to hospital at Briançon after the stage for X-rays.
Vincenzo Nibali: “I’ve always known that something is likely to happen in the final days of a Grand Tour. I had good sensations in the high mountains today. Climbing the Colle dell’Agnello, I saw several riders suffering so I accelerated. Steven Kruijswijk wasn’t doing great. We had Michele Scarponi in an important breakaway. I mostly thought of winning the stage. I rode away and went straight to Risoul. It wasn’t simple to bounce back but inside myself, I kept believing that I could do something before the end of the Giro. This is for sure a beautiful victory but my favourite one remains Il Lombardia”.
The new Maglia Rosa, Esteban Chaves: “It’s is a special day for me, my team and my country. Ruben [Plaza] went into the break, I was up there when the attacks started 5km from the top of the Agnello. It was an early move but it was the right time to attack to make a difference. It’s not easy to follow Nibali downhill. He’s crazy to do that, but I must be crazy too to follow him. I’m sorry for Steven Kruijswijk. Crashes are part of cycling. He behaved like a warrior. It’s a dream to be in the Maglia Rosa. If I bring the jersey home, it’ll be great, if not, I’ll have done everything I could”.
