With just 2 stages to go in the Giro d’talia, Steven Kruijswijk of the Lotto-Jumbo has retained his overall lead.
Stage 18 of the Tour was the longest of the race at 240 kilometers. A big breakaway early on saw a big group of riders open a Gap on the main group of paddlers. Moreno Moser and Gianluca Brambilla then broke clear of the group on the only categorized climb of the day.
The pair built-up a lead of around 30 seconds and appeared to be fighting it out for the victory. But a counter-attack led by Matteo Trentin, joined them with a late charge, before taking the stage with a surprise surge.
Kruijswijk came across the line nearly 13-and-a-half minutes later with the overall contenders' group, and enjoys a 3-minute advantage with 2 stages remaining.