(Reuters) – Portuguese rider Joao Almeida saw off Geraint Thomas to win stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday with an impressive late sprint on the slopes of Monte Bondone, while the Welshman regained the leader’s maglia rosa jersey.
Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) launched his attack with around five km remaining and beat Thomas in a two-man sprint to earn his first Giro stage win after a mountainous 203-km route that totalled over 5,000m of elevation gain.
Ineos Grenadiers rider Thomas, who lost the overall lead to Bruno Armirail on Saturday, leads Almeida by 18 seconds in the general classification.
Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-Visma crossed the line 25 seconds later for third place, slipping 29 seconds behind Thomas in the overall standings.
Ineos, who have already lost Tao Geoghegan Hart to a fractured hip and Filippo Ganna to COVID, suffered another blow when Pavel Sivakov abandoned the race midway through Tuesday’s ride, which began at Sabbio Chiese.
Sivakov was injured in the crash that ended Geoghegan Hart’s race on Stage 11. His withdrawal leaves Thomas with only four support riders in the final week.
Wednesday’s stage 17 is a 195-km route from Pergine Valsugana to Caorle.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad;Editing by Ken Ferris)
