Stage number 11 of the Giro d'Italia : 219 km from Camaiore to Tortona. Many other withdrawals due to illness unfortunately abandon the race: Gandin, Vendrame, Tesfation, Caicedo, Cattaneo, Vervaeke, Hirt and Cerny.

Six runners try to escape in the first kilometers of the race, they are: Champion, Sevilla, Magli, Rex, Konychev and Stojnic , but the opportunity for the sprinters is too tempting and they keep the six attackers under control by not giving them too much advantage. On the descent of the Colla di Boasi, 60km from the end, the slightly wet asphalt causes the entire Ineos-Grenadiers to slide, Geoghegan Hart suffers the worst consequences and is forced to immediately retire being taken away in an ambulance. Roglic and the pink jersey Thomas are also involved in the crash , but both restart immediately, without particular problems.

Rex, the last fugitive to give up, is caught up again 5 km from the finish. Another fall breaks the group just before the final sprint and ousts many protagonists; Pedersen is the first to start , but misses the times and is reassembled by Ackermann and Milan , the photo-finish in the end proves the German right, who triumphs over the finish line in Tortona. Second comes Milan who starts too late and comes close, by a matter of centimetres, to a sensational recovery, while Cavendish completes the podium.

In the general standings Thomas remains in the squad , Geoghegan Hart retires (third this morning), while Sivakov, involved in the crash, drops out of the standings losing many minutes.

ARRIVAL ORDER:

1     ACKERMANN Pascal UAE Team Emirates 5:09:02

2     AC MILAN Jonathan Bahrain Victorious ,,

3    CAVENDISH Mark Astana Qazaqstan Team ,,

4     PEDERSEN Mads Trek-Segafredo ,,

5     OLDANI Stefano Alpecin-Deceuninck ,,

6     ALBANIAN Vincenzo EOLO-Kometa Cycling Team ,,

7     MAYRHOFER Marius Team DSM ,,

8     DANCERS Davide Soudal Quick-Step ,,

9   CONSONNI Simone Cofidis ,,

10   MARIT Arne Intermarché-Circus ,,

GENERAL RANKING:

1      THOMAS Geraint INEOS Grenadiers 44:35:35

2    ROGLIČ Primož Jumbo-Visma 0:02

3      ALMEIDA Joao UAE Team Emirates 0:22

4     LEKNESSUND Andreas Team DSM 0:35

5      CARUSO Damiano Bahrain - Victorious 1:28

6     KÄMNA Lennard BORA - hansgrohe 1:52

7      DUNBAR Eddie Team Jayco AlUla 2:32

8      ARENSMAN Thymen INEOS Grenadiers ,,

9      DE PLUS Laurens INEOS Grenadiers 2:36

10    PARET-PEINTRE Aurélien AG2R Citroën Team 2:48

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency