Giro d’Italia 2024 Stage 19 recap: Andrea Vendrame proves strongest of 19-man breakaway

The break are edging their way up an uncategorised climb that leads towards the Intergiro sprint at Paularo after which the Passo Duron will begin - the first of three categorised climbs.

You have to feel for the Italian Alessandro Verre of Arkea B&B Hotels, who is chasing potatoes between the break and peloton. He's 4'20" behind the leaders but three minutes ahead of the pack - but it appears that he's now given up the ghost. It was always going to be a tall order to bridge over.

Narvaez (Stage 1), Sanchez (Stage 6), Alaphilippe (Stage 12) and Steinhauser (Stage 17) have already won on this Giro and could double up at Sappada. De Marchi, meanwhile, needs a Giro win to complete his Grand Tour grand slam. It's almost certain that one of these 19 riders will win today because their advantage is now 6'40". UAE are not worried about the gap because the best placed rider in the standings is Naevaez, and he's still over an hour down.

The pink jersey now rides at the back of his UAE train as they control the tempo in the peloton. It looks like Tadej Pogacar is happy to let the breakaway go the distance because his focus is on tomorrow's stage up and down and up Monte Grappa, which he wants to win so as to sign off his debut Giro in style. Here's what the runaway race leader had to say this morning...

The nine chasers join the 10 riders from the initial move so we now have a breakaway of 19 which could yet rise to a rounded 20 because Italy's Alessandro Verre (Arkea B&B Hotels) is trying to bridge over. Apparently he's around a minute back, with the peloton now 5'10" in arrears.

It looks increasingly likely - and that's just why it was such a big battle over the first hour and a half of racing today. The nine chasers are 22 seconds off the front group of 10, with the peloton now a whopping 3'50" behind after sitting up. If all goes to plan, one of these 19 riders will win today.

The local rider is one of the nine chasers who will soon join forces with the leaders. They are: Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan), Mikkel Honore, Georg Steinhauser and Michael Valgren (all EF Education-EasyPost), Dries De Pooter (Intermarche-Wanty), Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AlUla), Jan Tratnik and Tim van Dijke (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane).

And the peloton has sat up - so that may be that. And if that is indeed that, then that is also a big coup for EF Education-EasyPost who have THREE riders in the chase group, including the Stage 17 winner Georg Steinhauser, who we all know has good legs and excellent climbing ability.

Watch the Frenchman almost take out fellow escapee Pelayo Sanchez - revenge, perhaps, from the sixth stage on the Tuscan gravel, perhaps?

The American team missed this move and have bodies on the front of the pack. It's far from a done deal with the gap only 30 seconds. We already saw Edoardo Affini put in an acceleration - the Italian looking to ride over to the breakaway for a second successive day.

We now have 10 riders in the break after the chasers made the connection. So, the 10 leaders are:

Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers), Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla), Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns (both Lidl-Trek), Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) and Mattia Bais (Polti-Kometa).

Although he doesn't, really, because there was no competition - the Frenchman simply continued his pull on the front of the break through the sprint at Peonis to pocket the points and prize money. The chasers are now 18 seconds down and UAE have come to the front of the pack to control the pace, which is an interesting development.

Lidl-Trek have gor Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns in a move alongside Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) and Mattia Bais (Polti-Kometa). They're around 25 seconds back and 10 seconds clear of the pack. The road continues twisting and turning up towards Poenis and the intermediate sprint.

Narvaez has fought back and is taking his pulls so he can't be too badly affected by that crash. Soudal Quick-Step continue leading the chase behind despite their man, Alaphilippe, being up the road. Perhaps they are marshalling more than chasing.

The Belgian hits the deck in an identical incident to Narvaez. It's clearly a tricky bend to round. Alex Baudin (Decathlon) and Juanpe Lopez (Lidl-Trek) have darted clear in pursuit following Vansevenant's spill.

The Ecuadorian champion skids as he leads the break down the descent from the town and around a tight hairpin. He's back up on his bike quickly but that won't help the breakaway's cause.

A group of around a dozen riders went clear with Juanpe Lopez and Valentin Paret-Peintre and Mauri Vansevenant all in the mix. A second group formed in pursuit ahead of the peloton which all strung out on the rise into Forgaria nel Friuli.

Jonny Milan - the towering sprinter in the ciclamino jersey - is perhaps thinking about the intermediate sprint as he surges clear of the pack ahead of an uncategorised climb. The break now has 30 seconds so it's far from a done deal.

But the climbs come at the end of today's stage, which is when the Welshman will need to raise his game in a bid to take it to former team-mate Martinez in their battle for second.

Wow - that was a close one. As the break rounded a sweeping bend, Alaphilippe has to correct his line but inadvertantly swerves into the path of Pelayo Sanchez, who needs to take evasive action. That could have been nasty. The Spaniard waves his arm in protest - but they'll have to move on from that because they need to push on: the pack - which is all strung out and split into numerous factions - is only 12 seconds behind.

After that acceleration from Alaphilippe the next move has managed to form. It's not Conci but Quinten Hermans from Alpecin, as well as Movistar's Sanchez, Andrea Vendrame again and Narvaez of Ineos. Luke Plapp, the Australian champion, has managed to bridge over so this is a really strong group - with three stage winners from this Giro.