Tejay van Garderen claimed stage 18 in sprint finish in Giro d'Italia, an annual multiple-stage bicycle race held in Italy. The American BMC rider wins 137km stage from Moena to Ortisei. After plenty of close calls, Tejay van Garderen finally won his first grand tour stage in a sprint finish on the streets of Ortisei in the Dolomites.
The 28-year-old American was visibly emotional after holding off Team Sky’s Mikel Landa in a charge to the line following a breakaway to claim the Giro d’Italia’s stage 18 for BMC. “It’s my first Grand Tour stage win and it feels incredible,” Van Garderen said afterwards.
Behind him the overall race leader, Tom Dumoulin, took another crucial step in the battle for the maglia rosa, finishing ninth and clocking the same time as Nairo Quintana to ensure he maintained control of the pink jersey, with his 31-second lead intact heading into the final three stages. Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali remains third, 1min 12sec behind the leader.
The Dutchman Dumoulin fended off some desperate attacks by Quintana. The Dolomite climbs looked tailor-made for the diminutive Movistar rider but, try as he could, Quintana failed to make any of his attacks stick and Dumoulin even threatened to extend his lead when he poured on the power on the final ascent. The local favourite, Nibali, tried to break Dumoulin but he never looked threatened.
Behind him the overall race leader, Tom Dumoulin, took another crucial step in the battle for the maglia rosa, finishing ninth and clocking the same time as Nairo Quintana to ensure he maintained control of the pink jersey, with his 31-second lead intact heading into the final three stages. Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali remains third, 1min 12sec behind the leader.
The Dutchman Dumoulin fended off some desperate attacks by Quintana. The Dolomite climbs looked tailor-made for the diminutive Movistar rider but, try as he could, Quintana failed to make any of his attacks stick and Dumoulin even threatened to extend his lead when he poured on the power on the final ascent. The local favourite, Nibali, tried to break Dumoulin but he never looked threatened.