Esteban Chaves timed his attack to perfection as he crossed the line first in San Martino di Castrozza to win Stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia. The Mitchelton-Scott rider was the main protagonist in the break and moved clear of Andrea Vendrame (Androni) and Amaro Antunes (CCC Team) to take his team’s first win of the race.
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Chaves’ last victory came in the 2018 Giro but he has since battled illness, with the Epstein-Barr virus at one stage causing him to take a break from cycling. The 29-year-old was highly emotional at the finish, admitting the victory had as much to do with his own ability as the help he has received from those around him.
“It’s unbelievable, I don’t really have words for this,” Chaves said following the stage. “A lot of work has been put in together, all my family, my team, my friends, everyone knows how hard we’ve worked but I never gave up. “Last couple of years I’ve had a lot of difficult moments but I have a beautiful family, friends and people by my side.
We all worked together and this is a victory for everyone who supported me. Thank you very much everyone.” Further back, Movistar’s Richard Carapaz finished with the other leaders to retain the Maglia Rosa heading into the penultimate day. The Ecuadorian sits a minute and 54 seconds clear of Bahrain-Merida’s Vincenzo Nibali, with Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic a further 22 seconds off the pace.
