Giro D'Italia 2015: Stage 18 Results, Overall Standings and Highlights
Philippe Gilbert took Stage 18 of the 2015 Giro d’Italia, conquering the final descent between Melide and Verbania with a swagger.
This was the BMC Racing rider’s second win of this Grand Tour, finishing ahead of Francesco Bongiorno and Sylvain Chavanel, who were second and third, respectively.
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In the overall classification, maglia rosa holder Alberto Contador extended his lead atop the standings from Mikel Landa by 72 seconds; it means the Tinkoff Saxo rider now has a 5:15 buffer to his compatriot as he bids to win his second Giro title.
Here’s the final standings from an engrossing Stage 18:
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) | BMC Racing Team | 4:04:14 |
| 2 | Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) | Bardiani CSF | +0:00:47 |
| 3 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) | IAM Cycling | +0:01:01 |
| 4 | Matteo Busato (Ita) | Southeast Pro Cycling | Same Time |
| 5 | Amael Moinard (Fra) | BMC Racing Team | Same Time |
| 6 | David De La Cruz (Spa) | Etixx - Quick-Step | Same Time |
| 7 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) | AG2R La Mondiale | Same Time |
| 8 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) | Team Sky | Same Time |
| 9 | Chad Haga (USA) | Team Giant-Alpecin | +0:02:42 |
| 10 | Pieter Weening (Ned) | Orica GreenEdge | +0:03:55 |
After the previous round’s sprinter-friendly stage, the late undulations in the run from Melide to Verbania were set to make for a fascinating challenge. Team Sky provided us with a profile of what the riders would be facing:
It was yet another breakaway rider who was able to stave off the chasing pack for victory too. After winning in a sprint finish over the 190-kilometre Stage 12, Gilbert showcased his adaptability with a comprehensive display in this segment of the Giro.
With around 21 kilometres remaining in this one, the Belgian made his move. Gilbert was involved in an initial surge with circa 96 kilometres remaining and rode alongside Chavanel for long spells of the race. But he was too classy in the latter stages, handling the technical descents with a tremendous poise.
As noted by CafeRoubaix, it was a historic victory for Gilbert:
He was able to enjoy the moment in the latter stages of this one, with Bongiorno 47 seconds back and Chavanel, who was unable to compete with Gilbert during the descent, over a minute behind after some late struggles.
Given the comprehensive nature of the victory, as soon as Gilbert crossed the line, attention turned to what was going on in the race for the overall classification. There, it was apparent that Contador was intent on making a big statement with the final stage edging ever closer.
Tinkoff Saxo paid tribute to their man, who took a massive step toward glory with this performance:
Even with a substantial lead under his belt, Contador was keen to be aggressive and make his position atop the standings even more secure.
The Spaniard made some early gains on Astana riders Landa and Fabio Aru after a crash on the stage’s only summit. Nonetheless, in the latter stages, the chasers seemed set to reel the maglia rosa holder in as the gap continued to shorten.
But Contador upped the ante once again as the finish crept closer. The Spaniard was able to preserve a substantial distance between himself and the chasers, meaning he’ll now take what looks like an insurmountable lead into the final embers of the Grand Tour.
Here’s how the standings are shaping up in the general classification:
| 1 | Alberto Contador (Spa) | Tinkoff-Saxo | 72:23:09 |
| 2 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) | Astana Pro Team | +0:05:15 |
| 3 | Fabio Aru (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | +0:06:05 |
| 4 | Andrey Amador (CRc) | Movistar Team | +0:07:01 |
| 5 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) | Team Katusha | +0:09:40 |
| 6 | Leopold Konig (Cze) | Team Sky | +0:10:44 |
| 7 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) | BMC Racing Team | +0:11:05 |
| 8 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) | Team LottoNL-Jumbo | +0:12:53 |
| 9 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) | Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | +0:13:01 |
| 10 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) | FDJ.fr | +0:14:01 |
Purists may be unhappy about the manner in which Contador broke clear after the crash, but earlier in the tour, the Astana team had few issues looking to capitalise when the Spaniard flatted earlier in the competition.
Indeed, Contador’s teammate, Chris Juul-Jensen, was unashamed in admitting that when the team realised an advantage was there for the taking, they seized it, per Jeppe Helbo:
Not that it would have really mattered anyway. Barring disaster or injury, Contador looks to have this tour wrapped up. But as was evident in this stage, don’t expect the Spaniard to take anything for granted as the riders continue on their route to Milan.
Gilbert also deserves immense credit for the manner in which he rode on Stage 18. To show so much technical ability and a dash of accompanying fortitude was very impressive; given the versatility the Belgian clearly possesses, don’t rule him out for victory in any of the tour’s remaining two stages.
All tables and statistics courtesy of CyclingNews.com.
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