Narváez Claims Third Stage Win at Giro d'Italia
Ecuador's Jhonatan Narváez edged out Spain's Enric Mas at the conclusion of stage 11 on Wednesday to secure his third stage victory in this year's Giro d'Italia, while Portugal's Afonso Eulálio retained the overall leader's pink jersey.
Narváez (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Mas (Movistar) broke away from the leading group on the final climb. Mas initiated the sprint, but Narváez overtook him just before the finish line. Italy's Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) finished third after the 195-kilometer ride from Porcari to Chiavari.
Reflecting on the race, Narváez said: "Mas was the strongest on the climb, and I knew I had to play my game. I just tried to defend myself on the uphill. I was scared because when he sprinted, he almost pushed me into the barriers, and I was on the limit. But it was full gas racing all day. We don't just race uphill; we race downhill too."
In the general classification, Eulálio maintained his 27-second lead over race favorite Jonas Vingegaard. The peloton, containing all general classification contenders, finished more than three minutes behind the stage winner.
The first half of the stage saw numerous breakaway attempts before the riders reached the first of three categorized climbs. Early attacks were neutralized, and the leading group grew as others joined the chase. On the second climb, a 12-man group established a lead of over three minutes. A crash on the descent brought down three riders, and the breakaway began to fragment. On the uncategorized climb before the finish, Mas attacked, with Narváez following closely. Unable to shake off the Ecuadorian on the descent, Mas was at a disadvantage in the sprint.
Mas, a three-time runner-up in the Vuelta a España, is out of contention for the overall win but was eager for a stage victory on his Giro debut. However, it was Narváez who claimed his fifth career Giro stage win.
Stage 12 on Thursday is a flat 175-kilometer ride from Imperia to Novi Ligure, where Eulálio will again wear the pink jersey.
