Carlos Verona of the Lidl-Trek team took a solo win in the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia. He finished 22 seconds ahead of Florian Stork.
Verona’s victory came a day after his team lost leader Giulio Ciccone to a crash.
The Lidl-Trek team now has six wins in this year’s Giro d’Italia.
Stage Recap
The stage was 219 kilometers long and had a tough mountain route. Six cyclists broke away from the pack, but Verona was the strongest.
He crossed the finish line in Asiago, Italy, with a clear lead.
Twitter Reaction
Yesterday felt like a nightmare. Today feels like a dream. Lidl-Trek is victorious yet again, as Carlos Verona takes his maiden Grand Tour stage win pic.twitter.com/Vshc0JyWDq
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia)
The overall leader, Isaac del Toro, kept his top spot. Primoz Roglic, a top contender, had a tough day and lost time.
He fell back to 10th place, over three minutes behind del Toro.
Mountain Challenges
The stage had two big climbs. The first was up the Monte Grappa, a 25-kilometer ascent.
Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz tried to break away, but del Toro caught up.
Later, on the climb to Dori, Bernal and Carapaz tried again. Del Toro kept up, but Roglic fell behind.
This cost Roglic valuable time in the overall standings.
Twitter Update
Not his day. #GirodItalia pic.txt
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia)
The Giro d’Italia now takes a rest day. The final week will be extremely tough, with many mountain stages.
Del Toro is still in the lead, but Roglic’s struggles have given other riders a chance to catch up.
Final Standings
Afonso Eulálio of Bahrain Victorious finished 167th, over 30 minutes behind Verona.
The next stage will be crucial in deciding the final winner of the Giro d’Italia.