Tour of the Alps 2019 – Stage 5 [FULL STAGE]

April 26, 2019

Tour of the Alps 2019 – Stage 5 – Kaltern/Caldaro – Bozen/Bolzano : 148,7 km

The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino (English: Tour of Trentino) until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy. In 2015, the race merged with the nearby one-day race Trofeo Melinda, and the 2015 edition was called the Giro del Trentino Melinda. In 2017, the event was renamed Tour of the Alps, as it addresses the entire Euroregion of Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino, formed by three different regional authorities in two countries: the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino. It should not be confused with the similarly named Giro al Sas di Trento, an annual road running competition in the city of Trento.

Pavel Sivakov (Team Sky) claimed final overall victory at the Tour of the Alps after limiting his losses to stage 5 winner Fausto Masnada (Androni-Sidermec) and withstanding another volley of attacks from Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) over the summit of the race’s final climb of San Genesio.

Already a stage winner earlier in the week, Masnada was part of the day’s early break and he spent much of the day as the virtual overall leader as their advantage reached a maximum of almost seven minutes. The Italian had begun the day 3:37 off the cyclamen jersey, and he posed a real threat to the Sivakov’s overall lead on a rain-soaked final stage.

Masdanda went clear with Carlos Quintero (Manzana Postobon) on the climb to San Genesio and he was still in the virtual overall lead at the summit, where their advantage over the Sivakov group stood at almost five minutes.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) performed the bulk of the pace-making in the Sivakov group on the climb of San Genesio, but he had to hand over to Tao Geoghegan Hart on the steep uncategorised ramps that followed the summit.

Nibali availed of Froome’s absence to launch no fewer than three accelerations, but on each occasion, Sivakov clung grimly to his wheel, and the Sicilian relented ahead of the long descent to Bolzano. By then, Masnada’s advantage was down to 3:40, and Geoghegan Hart’s work on the descent helped to ensure that the Italian would not deny Sivakov overall victory.

With 1.5km to go, Masnada clipped away from his breakaway companion Quintero to claim the stage honours by seven seconds. Sivakov came home alongside Nibali and Geoghegan Hart, 2:14 down on Masnada, to secure final Tour of the Alps victory.

“Today was a really tricky race with a really strong breakaway but my team was just amazing today. They did it perfectly,” said Sivakov.

“At one moment I was a bit stressed but I knew that the guys would just do everything. At the end they were amazing. This victory is our victory, and we’ve been consistent all week with Tao wining two stages. Today we managed the race perfectly.”

Geoghegan Hart, winner of two stages during the week, finished the race in second place overall, 27 seconds down, while Nibali managed to move ahead of crash victim Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) into third overall.

How it unfolded

Menacing dark clouds loomed over Caldaro ahead of the final leg of the Tour of the Alps, and the heavens duly opened shortly into the 147km stage, which brought the gruppo across the climbs of Collalbo and San Genesio to the finish in Bolzano.

The day’s early break took shape after a very brisk start, with a group of 18 riders going clear inside the opening 20km. Masnada gleefully accepted the leeway that he was granted, forging ahead in the company of Andrea Garosio (Bahrain-Merida), Dario Cataldo, Nikita Stalnov (Astana), Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale), Elie Gesbert, Amael Moinard (Arkea-Samsic), Ivan Santaromita (Nippo-Vino Fantini), Carlos Quintero (Manzana-Postobon), Alvaro Cuadros (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Francesco Romano (Bardiani-CSF), Mikel Bizkarra, Fernando Barcelò, Sergio Samitier (Euskadi-Murias), Simone Velasco, Edoardo Zardini (Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia), Roland Thalmann (Team Voralberg) and Tobias Bayer (Tirol-KTM).

By the base of the climb to Collalbo, the escapees had three minutes in hand on the peloton, and that gap increased amid driving rain on the ascent, with the margin reaching 6:40 by the summit. Masnada, who started the day just 3:37 off Sivakov’s lead, was the virtual overall leader, but there was still little urgency in Sky’s pursuit as the gap yawned out beyond seven minutes over the other side of the climb.

A crash in the peloton saw three Bora-Hansgrohe riders come down on the descent of Collalbo, including Rafal Majka, and though the Pole later rejoined the Sivakov group, he would suffer the effects of his fall later in the day, losing contact in the final hour and ultimately slipping to 6th overall.

The leading group began to fragment on the final ascent of San Genesio, with Masnada jumping clear in the company of Carlos Quintero. Behind, Chris Froome took over at the head of the peloton on behalf of Sivakov, and while his pace-making whittled the cyclamen jersey group down to its bare bones, Masnada and Quintero still held a lead of five minutes over the favourites as they crested the summit of San Genesio with 34km still to race.

The climbing didn’t finish there, however, as the route took in a series of steep ramps on the Altopiano del Salto before the final drop into Bolzano, and this was where Masnada’s hopes of snatching overall victory were eventually extinguished.

A tired Froome swung over with 32km to go, leaving Geoghegan Hart to set the tempo in the Sivakov group. Mindful that this was his last chance to discommode the Russian, Nibali launched no fewer than three stinging accelerations, but Sivakov responded each time. Geoghegan Hart rejoined them ahead of the descent, and as the Sivakov group swelled in size once again, the Briton’s pace-making helped to bring Masnada’s lead back under control.

Up front, Quintero suffered mechanical mishap on the descent but managed to get back on terms with Masnada, although with overall victory now out of reach, the Italian was switching his attention to snaring his second stage win of the week. Masnada duly attacked Quintero with a little under 1500 metres to go and held on to claim the honours by 7 seconds.

Simone Velasco and Cataldo led the remnants of the break across the line at 1:31, while Sivakov, Nibali and Geoghegan Hart all came home together at 2:14, ensuring that the young Sky pairing finished on the top two steps of the podium.

Results :
1 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 4:02:06
2 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:00:07
3 Simone Velasco (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:01:31
4 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
5 Roland Thalmann (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:01:33
6 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:14
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
8 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
9 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky
10 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky
11 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:02:17
12 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:03:29
13 Jan Hirt (Cze) Astana Pro Team
14 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
15 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 0:04:37
16 Brice Feillu (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
17 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
18 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:06:11
19 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida
20 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:07:22
21 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
22 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:07:31
23 Federico Zurlo (Ita) Giotti Victoria 0:08:49
24 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM
25 Jérémy Maison (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
26 Dayer Quintana (Col) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:08:53
27 Aldemar Reyes Ortega (Col) Manzana Postobon
28 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
29 Filippo Rocchetti (Ita) Team Colpack
30 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
32 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
33 Amael Moinard (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
34 Patrick Schelling (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic
35 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 0:10:18
36 Markus Wildauer (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 0:10:19
37 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
38 Aleksei Rybalkin (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 0:14:48
39 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:15:05
40 Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF
41 Manuel Senni (Ita) Bardiani CSF
42 Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego (Spa) Team Vorarlberg Santic
43 Luca Raggio (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM
44 Francesco Romano (Ita) Bardiani CSF
45 Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
46 Juan Antonio Lopez-Cozar Jaimez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
47 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
48 Manuele Tarozzi (Ita) Italy
49 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:15:11
50 Andi Bajc (Slo) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels 0:19:02
51 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team
52 Damiano Cima (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane
53 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
54 Joel Nicolau (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
55 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
56 Denis Marian Vulcan (Rom) Giotti Victoria
57 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team
58 Benjamin Brkic (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels
59 Matthias Krizek (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels
60 Michele Corradini (Ita) Italy
61 Pello Bilbao (Spa) Astana Pro Team
62 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
63 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
64 Marco Tizza (Ita) Italy
65 Omar El Gouzi (Ita) Tirol KTM Cycling Team
66 Andrea Cacciotti (Ita) Italy
67 Gordian Banzer (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic
68 Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM
69 Jalel Duranti (Ita) Team Colpack
70 Andrea Toniatti (Ita) Team Colpack
71 Georg Zimmermann (Ger) Tirol KTM Cycling Team
72 Stephan Rabitsch (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels
73 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Tirol KTM Cycling Team
74 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
75 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
76 Colin Chris Stüssi (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:24:04
77 Patrick Gamper (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team
78 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria 0:25:56
79 Meiyin Wang (Chn) Bahrain-Merida
80 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon
81 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria
82 Maximilian Kuen (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Santic
DNF Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Sergei Shilov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
DNF Evgeny Kobernyak (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
DNF Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky
DNF Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane
DNF Alejandro Osorio Carvajal (Col) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane
DNF Ruben Dario Acosta Ospina (Col) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane
DNF Nicola Bagioli (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane
DNF Juan Jose Amador Castaño (Col) Manzana Postobon
DNF Juan Felipe Osorio Arboleda (Col) Manzana Postobon
DNF Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNF Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Daniel Savini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Gotzon Udondo Santamaria (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM
DNF Nicolas Dalla Valle (Ita) Tirol KTM Cycling Team
DNF Davide Botta (Ita) Team Colpack
DNF Paul Double (GBr) Team Colpack
DNF Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Team Colpack
DNF Daniel Lehner (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels
DNF Simone Sterbini (Ita) Giotti Victoria
DNS Matteo Busato (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
DNS Antonio Santoro (Ita) Italy

Final General Classification :
1 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky 18:58:00
2 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:27
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:33
4 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:01:03
5 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:01:13
6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:46
7 Jan Hirt (Cze) Astana Pro Team 0:02:03
8 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:02:58
9 Roland Thalmann (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:03:14
10 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 0:04:27
11 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:04:57
12 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:12
13 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:07:23
14 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
15 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 0:07:45
16 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:08:28
17 Simone Velasco (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:12:33
18 Jérémy Maison (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:13:15
19 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:13:26
20 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 0:13:52
21 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:14:21
22 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:15:27
23 Aldemar Reyes Ortega (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:15:53
24 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:16:15
25 Dayer Quintana (Col) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:16:34
26 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:18:28
27 Pello Bilbao (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:19:27
28 Federico Zurlo (Ita) Giotti Victoria 0:20:52
29 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:22:47
30 Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:23:15
31 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:27:11
32 Aleksei Rybalkin (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 0:28:42
33 Amael Moinard (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:28:55
34 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale 0:28:56
35 Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego (Spa) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:29:01
36 Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:30:01
37 Patrick Schelling (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:30:19
38 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:33:04
39 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:35:06
40 Georg Zimmermann (Ger) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 0:35:53
41 Stephan Rabitsch (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels 0:37:02
42 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:37:15
43 Francesco Romano (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:37:17
44 Markus Wildauer (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 0:39:21
45 Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:39:34
46 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:40:23
47 Benjamin Brkic (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels 0:43:41
48 Manuel Senni (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:43:58
49 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:44:05
50 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:46:36
51 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:48:15
52 Luca Raggio (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:48:40
53 Gordian Banzer (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:50:28
54 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:50:56
55 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:52:57
56 Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM 0:54:32
57 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 0:54:43
58 Filippo Rocchetti (Ita) Team Colpack 0:57:00
59 Colin Chris Stüssi (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic 0:57:42
60 Brice Feillu (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:58:42
61 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:00:14
62 Michele Corradini (Ita) Italy 1:01:10
63 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo 1:01:57
64 Juan Antonio Lopez-Cozar Jaimez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 1:03:40
65 Joel Nicolau (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 1:04:36
66 Andi Bajc (Slo) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels 1:05:36
67 Marco Tizza (Ita) Italy 1:06:29
68 Matthias Krizek (Aut) Team Felbermayr Simplon Wels 1:10:08
69 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon 1:11:42
70 Denis Marian Vulcan (Rom) Giotti Victoria 1:12:20
71 Omar El Gouzi (Ita) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 1:12:49
72 Andrea Cacciotti (Ita) Italy 1:13:02
73 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 1:13:38
74 Manuele Tarozzi (Ita) Italy 1:14:02
75 Jalel Duranti (Ita) Team Colpack 1:16:01
76 Andrea Toniatti (Ita) Team Colpack 1:16:26
77 Damiano Cima (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Faizane 1:17:55
78 Maximilian Kuen (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Santic 1:19:56
79 Patrick Gamper (Aut) Tirol KTM Cycling Team 1:23:42
80 Meiyin Wang (Chn) Bahrain-Merida 1:25:16
81 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria 1:25:47
82 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria 1:31:27