SANTUARIO DI CASTELMONTE, Italy (AFP) – Dutch cyclist Koen Bouwman won the penultimate mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia on Friday and Richard Carapaz kept the pink jersey heading into the final two days.
Bouwman, who rides for Team Jumbo-Visma, edged Mauro Schmid and Alessandro Tonelli in a sprint to the line at the end of the 19th stage an incident on the final corner.
Schmid complained that Bouwman cut him off around the final corner, causing him to force Andrea Vendrame and Attila Valter wide when they were also vying for the stage win.
It was a second victory in this Giro for Bouwman after he also won the seventh stage for his second ever professional win.
“After my first victory I said it would be really nice if I could have another one, but then I also said I need to be realistic, it was only my second victory as a pro,” Bouwman said. “Now, winning two stages in the Giro, wow, I’m just so happy.
“I knew there was a corner to the left but I didn’t know it was this sharp. I had to brake quite hard and I knew I had to take the inside. I don’t know if anyone crashed and otherwise I will be sorry for that.”
The 178-kilometer (111-mile) route from Marano Lagunare had four classified climbs, including the second-category ascent up to the summit finish at Santuario di Castelmonte. The stage also crossed briefly into Slovenia.
A breakaway of 12 riders went early and was allowed to build a large advantage of about 10 minutes. That broke up on the top-category Kolovrat climb and there were only five escapees remaining on the descent.
There were attacks behind in the general classification group, towards the top of the final climb, but nothing stuck and the main rivals crossed together, nearly four minutes behind Bouwman.