The Italian Alberto Bettiol (EF Education) won solo the 18th stage of the cycling Tour of Italy, the longest of the event with 231 kilometers, Thursday in Stradella (north). In the final, Bettiol left behind his companions in a river breakaway which was nearly twenty minutes ahead of the peloton and the pink jersey, the Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos). On the line, the Italian, surprise winner of the Tour of Flanders 2019, preceded his compatriot Simone Consonni by about fifteen seconds, ahead of the Irishman Nicolas Roche. The breakaway of 23 riders took shape in the first hour of the race on this transitional course between Trentino and Lombardy. On the eve of returning to the mountains, the riders in the general classification let it go.
At the front, the French Rémi Cavagna placed a sharp start 26 kilometers from the finish.
But he saw Bettiol come back, chasing him in the vineyards of Oltrepo, and gave in abruptly a few moments later on the last hill.
Bettiol, alone in the lead in the last 7 kilometers, took off the third success of his career, his first in the Giro.
The Tuscan also signed the fifth Italian victory since leaving Turin.
On Friday, the 19th stage skips the ascent of Mottarone, out of respect for the victims of the cable car accident that occurred in this place last Sunday.
But it keeps most of its route between Abbiategrasso and Alpe di Mera (166 km), to end with a climb of 9.7 kilometers at 9% average slope.
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