Giro D'Italia 2015: Stage 19 Results, Overall Standings and Highlights
Fabio Aru sampled victory in Stage 19 of the 2015 Giro d’Italia, seizing second place in the general classification in the process.
The Astana Pro rider did tremendously to break away on the gruelling run between Gravellona Toce and Cervinia, eventually taking a comfortable win from Ryder Hesjedal and Rigoberto Uran, who were second and third respectively.
Alberto Contador remains well in control of the maglia rosa, boasting a 4:37 gap over Aru with two stages to go. It was a disappointing day for Mikel Landa, who drops to third place in the overall rankings after crossing the line alongside the iconic Spaniard.
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Here are the full race results from Stage 19:
| 1 | Fabio Aru (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | 6:24:13 |
| 2 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) | Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | +0:00:28 |
| 3 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) | Etixx - Quick-Step | +0:01:10 |
| 4 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) | Astana Pro Team | +0:01:18 |
| 5 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) | Team LottoNL-Jumbo | Same Time |
| 6 | Alberto Contador (Spa) | Tinkoff-Saxo | Same Time |
| 7 | Tanel Kangert (Est) | Astana Pro Team | Same Time |
| 8 | Leopold Konig (Cze) | Team Sky | +0:01:24 |
| 9 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) | Team Sky | +0:02:24 |
| 10 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) | FDJ.fr | Same Time |
Aru Rallies To Apply Late Pressure
Stage 19 is one of the toughest to negotiate for the Giro riders. As we can see here courtesy of Team Sky, a relatively flat opening gives way to three substantial summits towards the Cervinia finish:
After an underwhelming Giro, Aru returned to form with a bang here. The Italian rider has struggled for consistency at vital moments in this Grand Tour, allowing Landa and Contador to establish big leads over him.
But on this dynamic stage, which included three Grade 1 climbs, the Astansa rider made a heady statement. After negotiating two earlier inclines in the latter stages of this run, Aru really made his mark on the final summit into Cervinia.
As noted here by the Cannondale-Garmin Twitter account, long-time leader Hesjedal was hunted down with the finish line edging ever closer:
After reeling in the Canadian, Aru continued to motor upwards and onto glory. And while he may not have enough to take their pink jersey off Contador in the final two races, it was clear the Astana star was keen on edging his teammate out of second place in the general classification.
It was also another gutsy ride from Hesjedal, who moves up to seventh overall with a second place finish. As noted by his Cannondale-Garmin teammate Nathan Haas, the Canadian showcased immense fortitude to cling on after being passed by a rampant Aru:
Contador was expected to feature heavily in the final stages of this one, but the Tinkoff Saxo rider was happy to take things relatively easy. Landa, who was closest to the Spaniard in the overall classification coming into Stage 19, was alongside Contador for the vast majority and the pair eventually crossed the line together.
As noted here by Contador Notebook, although he could have potentially made a late move, the maglia rosa holder chose to play it conservatively:
The lead he has built up over the previous 18 stages, which was reduced here by Aru’s masterclass at the front, has allowed Contador to dictate when he attacks or otherwise. Here’s a reminder of the overall standings:
| 1 | Alberto Contador (Spa) | Tinkoff-Saxo | 78:48:40 |
| 2 | Fabio Aru (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | +0:04:37 |
| 3 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) | Astana Pro Team | +0:05:15 |
| 4 | Andrey Amador (CRc) | Movistar Team | +0:08:10 |
| 5 | Leopold Konig (Cze) | Team Sky | +0:10:47 |
| 6 | Yury Trofimov (Rus) | Team Katusha | +0:11:11 |
| 7 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) | Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | +0:12:05 |
| 8 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) | BMC Racing Team | +0:12:14 |
| 9 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) | Team LottoNL-Jumbo | +0:12:53 |
| 10 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr | FDJ.fr | +0:15:07 |
Another mountainous stage on Saturday may see Contador in the hunt for a stage victory, but this late on in a tour it’d be no surprise to see him pick and choose his moments while keeping the Astana pairing in sight. Do that and the legendary rider will be sampling his second-ever Giro win when the riders stream into Milan on Sunday.
For Aru, this win will have meant alot. He really struggled in the mountains on Tuesday, but showed a more befitting measure of his talent with a strong performance here. The overall victory is now beyond him, but the Italian—who has been backed by raucous crowds throughout—will be desperate to apply some pressure in the final two segments of a gripping Giro.
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