2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 12 Results & Recap
Stage 12 of the 2018 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
Sam Bennett takes second victory amidst pouring rain in Imola\nBy Stas Uittenbogaard
In one of the flattest stages of the Giro d’Italia, a nail-biting finale nevertheless prevented a straightforward sprint. The only part of the stage that was not flat turned out to be quite a bit steeper than many had anticipated, as harsh conditions and pouring rain broke up the peloton. With late escapees Matej Mohoric (TBM) and Carlos Betancur (MOV) still seconds away in front at 450 metres to go, Sam Bennett (BOH) launched to take stage victory. Elia Viviani’s lead in the points’ classification drops to 22 points.
As clouds broke open and the riders were treated to unrelenting showers, the peloton broke into several pieces. As both sprint favourite Elia Viviani and several classification candidates got caught behind the split, their rivals turned up the engines to start a hectic final. Several riders tried to go solo, including at one point Sam Bennett himself, all but two were quickly caught back. When Mohoric and Betancur were not caught yet after the last corner on the Imola racing circuit, Bennett surprised with his early sprint. Danny van Poppel (TLJ) and Niccolo Bonifazio (TBM) completed the podium. \nThe Irishman Bennett said: “It was a tough final for a bunch sprint. There were two guys up front. I didn't know how much energy they had left so I went early because I didn't want to let the stage get away from me. I didn't know if I would hold the lead. It worked to my advantage. I heard that Viviani was off the back… then that he was back. I wasn't sure. I just had to do my sprint. I think it's a nicer win than the first one.”
Despite the tough finale, no general classification contender lost time on the finish line, and Simon Yates stays in the Maglia Rosa. This is what he said: “I guess these were favourable weather conditions for an Englishman. And also for an Irishman! It was a very difficult final. I think a few guys underestimated it, myself included. When Konrad and Dennis accelerated [on the Tre Monti], I followed because I wasn't sure who was trying to ride away. It all ended well.”
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For once, the peloton could agree on an early break as five pro-continental riders moved out of the peloton at kilometre zero. Marco Frapporti (ANS), Mirco Maestri and Manuel Senni (BAR) and Eugert Zhupa and Jacopo Mosca (WIL) were allowed just over four minutes advantage early on, at which point the sprinters’ team kept a tight leash on the escapees, bringing the gap down to between two and a half and three and a half minutes. Frapporti took both intermediate sprints of the day despite Zhupa’s best efforts, and in doing so the 33 year old –and most experienced rider in this break by far- takes the intermediate sprint classification from his teammate Davide Ballerini as well as solidifies his lead in the Fuga Pinarello.
When the peloton moved away from the coast line at around 100 km to go, what little danger of echelons there was seemed to have passed. The weather however, had different plans. As rain poured down and riders started to get nervous, the pace in the peloton picked up. Elia Viviani as well as general classification contenders Richard Carapaz (MOV) and Domenico Pozzovivo (TBM) were caught behind a split, which prompted both the general classification teams and the sprinters teams of Education First – Drapac and Bora Hansgrohe to up the speed. At one point, the difference between the first and second peloton was as big as forty seconds, but when the second peloton neared to a handful of seconds, Carapaz, Pozzovivo and Bahrain Merida sprinter Bonifazio made the jump. Elia Viviani could not get back to the first group and was out of contention for the stage.
Tim Wellens was the first to attack, making a move from 20 kilometres out. Although they had been on the attack together yesterday, it was Quickstep’s Zdenek Stybar who put most effort into chasing Wellens back, until the Czech rider realised his own leader had been dropped. From there on, the chase fell to Sacha Modolo’s team EF-Drapac, prompting to speculation that Sam Bennett had been dropped. As Wellens was caught on the foot of the Tre Monti climb at ten kilometres from the finish, attacks flew, including one attempt from Sam Bennett himself who appeared on the front again. It was UAE-Team Emirate’s Diego Ulissi who managed to get free from the chasers first, quickly joined by Colombian Carlos Betancur. On the descent of the Tre Monti, they were joined by Matej Mohoric, who won Tuesday’s stage in similar fashion. For a moment it looked as if the Slovenian was in for a repeat performance, but instead it was Ireland´s Sam Bennett who took his second grand tour victory. Danny van Poppel could not catch op, while Niccolo Bonifazio came from far to take third overtaking several other sprinters with a late push.\n
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