2017 Giro d'Italia Stage 6 Results & Recap
Stage 6 of the 2017 Giro d'Italia is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
BMC's Dillier takes stage 6 in Giro
It was a windy day that greeted the riders for the start of stage 6 of the Giro d’ Italia. They faced 217 kilometers with a category 3 and 4 climb. The category 3 climb started just 27 kilometers into the stage and the category 4 near the end at kilometer 191. However, the real kicker to the stage was the run-up to the finish, a 5 to 10% gradient. The home stretch, running entirely uphill, is 500 meters long, on six-meter wide asphalt road. Unlike yesterday’s stage that ended in a bunch sprint, stage 6 was designed for the break away.
After numerous attacks it was the group of Silvan Dillier (BMC Racing Team), Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora – Hansgrohe), Jasper Stuyven (Trek – Segafredo), Mads Pedersen (Trek – Segafredo) and Simone Andreetta (Bardiani-CSF) that finally got away. As they hit the first climb of the day they had over a three minute lead. By the time they crested the summit and descended the time advantage grew to over seven minutes.
As the kilometers clicked by the gap grew to well over eight minutes. The reason the break was given so much leash was because no one was a threat to Bob Jungels’ pink jersey. The only team looking to keep the break in check was Cannondale Drapac and Wilier-Selle Italia, The American registered team didn’t have a general classification rider, but instead a squad with “stage hunters” and this stage was perfect for that type of rider. Wilier-Selle Italia was riding for Fillippo Pozzato who desperately wanted to add another Giro stage win to his resume.
Typically break aways are populated with Continental teams, but out of these five riders, four were from Pro Tour teams which was also a factor in how they gained so much time on the peloton. Trek-Segafredo, BMC, and Bora-Hansgrohe were not obliged to help with the chase so it fell onto the other teams, who may not care about the break, such as Quick Step - Floors. It was these factors that kept the five riders eight minutes in front.
With 90 kilometers remaining the front of the peloton was congested with teams as they were preparing for cross winds which could shred the groups apart - a major concern for GC contenders.
In fits and starts the peloton gained and lost time on the break. It wasn’t until the last 35 kilometers that teams started to share in the work to bring the break back. The five riders still had 4:30 advantage and using the time honored formula of a chasing pack can close a minute for every 10 kilometers, it was going to be tight if they wanted to reel them in.
With 20 kilometers to go the gap was 2:55 and it looked like the break had beaten the odds and was going to stay away. The peloton behind was now getting congested riding through the narrow roads.
The gap stabilized at two minutes and the five riders hit the final climb of the day which was enough as Pedersen got dropped with six kilometers remaining. Not long after on the last significant climb of the day Stuyven attacked, which dropped Andreetta. Now there was just three in the break.\nOn the final kicker to the line the stage winner was going to be someone from this trio. With a kilometer remaining the break started to play cat and mouse, seeing who would attack first. With 200 uphill meters to the line Dilier attacked and barely held off Stuyven by half a bike length for the win. Crossing the line in third was Pöstlberger. Amazingly, Andreetta who had been dropped earlier held on for fourth.
The big losers of the day were the Cannondale Drapac and Wilier-Selle Italia teams as they had chased for most of the stage only to come away empty handed. Michael Woods from Cannondale Drapac was their best finisher in 5th place for the stage.
Jungels retained the pink jersey, Geraint Thomas (Team Sky 0:00:06) in second, and Adam Yates (Orica-Scott) in third on general classification
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