Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) dealt a knockout blow to his GC rivals at the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, soloing to victory on the queen stage in Livigno.
The Slovenian attacked with 14km to go on the final climb on stage 15, a day that counted 5,400m elevation, and ended after over six hours of racing.
Across the line, Pogačar's advantage was jaw-dropping – almost three minutes to his fellow GC rivals, who scrapped for seconds behind.
"Today was one of the best days for me – not the whole day, I would not say the best day of my career, but it was a really nice stage, a really good route, nice climbs," he said afterwards.
The victory marked the UAE Team Emirates rider's fourth on debut at the Italian Grand Tour, and his most resounding. His winning margin meant he doubled his lead over Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), who went into the stage 3-41 down, and now trails by 6-41.
"The team did a super-good job," Pogačar continued. "We had this stage in mind since, I don't know, December or whatever. I'm super-happy that we kept it under control. It was a really strong breakaway, but I gave it all in the last 10km or so, 15km. I'm super-happy that I could win a queen stage in Livigno, one of my favourite places in Italy."
Nairo Quintana (Movistar), winner of the pink jersey in 2014, finished second to Pogačar, having led the race solo from the breakaway.
Speaking about the day's runner-up, Pogačar recalled memories of watching the Colombian a decade ago. "I was watching the time when [Chris] Froomey and Quintana were attacking each other, but always attacking too close to the finish. I was really angry with Quintana, he was not trying to go from distance," he smiled.
"Today, he did a super-good job, actually. He did an amazingly good ride. Also [Georg] Steinhauser [of EF Education-EasyPost], third place for him, I think this was a brilliant ride as well. A few honourable mentions today for sure.”
Pogačar now heads into the second rest day with a lead of almost seven minutes over Thomas and Dani Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe). With just a week to go until the race concludes, it's a lead that is likely to be unassailable.
How it happened
At the stage start in Manerba del Garda, the melody of 'The Final Countdown' rung out among the riders, played by a spectator with an air horn.
It was a daunting tune, but an apt one ahead of a leg-sapping day out through the mountains. Over the next 222km, the riders would climb 5,400m – more than half the height of Mount Everest – to a summit finish in Livigno.
An early breakaway formed, made up of 12 riders including Brits Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) and Harrison Wood (Cofidis). On the opening categorised ramps, the escapees were caught by a mega chasing group, around 50 riders in size, and the front group swelled.
The first mountains test came on the mythic Passo del Mortirolo, which began with 79km to go. Little action came on the climb, before the front pack strung out on the descent, leaving 18 riders out front. Among them, were mountain goats Juanpe López (Lidl-Trek), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling), the best placed escapee on GC at nine minutes down.
At the foot of the final climb, the Passo di Foscagno, Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) gritted his teeth and sailed clear of his breakaway companions. Storer and Quintana set out in pursuit, with the Colombian then tapping out a rhythm to set himself solo.
Quintana's advantage sat at around three minutes, a healthy lead on a normal day, but not for what was about to happen.
With 14km to go, Rafał Majka (UAE Team Emirates) peeled off the front of the GC group, making way for Pogačar to writhe violently up the road. Immediately, the bike lengths stretched out, and before long, the Slovenian was whipping past the stragglers from the early breakaway.
Under the 2km to go banner, Pogačar made the catch to Quintana, but did not let up. No, he stomped ahead, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, to prevail alone on the 19% gradients of the stage's finale.
Quintana crawled home 29 seconds later, with rest of the GC group three minutes in arrears.
Results
Giro d'Italia 2024, stage 15: Manerba del Garda > Livigno (222km)
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 6-11-43
2. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +29s
3. Georg Steinhauser (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost, +2-32
4. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +2-47
5. Dani Martínez (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe, +2-50
6. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
7. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, +2-58
8. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, at same time
9. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, +3-05
10. Jan Hirt (Cze) Soudal Quick-Step, +3-20
General classification after stage 15
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 56:11:46
2. Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Ineos Grenadiers, +6-41
3. Daniel Martinez (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe, +6-56
4. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, +7-43
5. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) bahrain Victorious, +9-27
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, +9-45
7. Romain Bardet (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +10-49
8. Filippo Zana (Ita) Jayco-AIUla, +11-11
9. Einer Rubio (Col) Movistar, +12-13
10. Jan Hirt (Cze) Soudal Quick-Step, +13-11
