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

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.

No sooner has the break been reabsorbed by the pack than the Frenchman dances clear and sparks a response from the likes of Pelayo Sanchez, Andrea Bagioli, Jhonatan Narvaez, Nicola Conci...

As the race enters San Daniele del Friuli - famous for its ham - the road edges uphill and that draws the curtains down on the breakaway, which finally succumbs to the inevitable.

The 10 escapees have been brought to within 13 seconds of the pack and it looks like this one is doomed. Too many teams have missed the move - or got the wrong rider in the move - and we will surely go again very soon.

Jayco-AlUla pair Alessandro De Marchi and Luke Plapp rode clear in pursuit of the break but they were reeled back in. Kaden Groves also tried his luck, was pegged back by Lidl-Trek, then got on the radio to urge his team-mates to lend a hand. The result is Alpecin-Deceuninck now pulling hard on the front - and they have pulled the gap back to 20 seconds.

It's 30 seconds now for the breakaway with all attempts to bridge over thwarted behind. The riders are: Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), Simone Velasco (Astana Qazaqstan), Ryan Mullen (Bora-Hansgrohe), Andrea Vendrama (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Andrea Piccolo (EF Education-EasyPost), Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), Giovanni Lonardi (Polti-Kometa), Edoardo Affini and Attila Valter (both Visma-Lease a Bike).

A decent group has opened a gap of 10 seconds over the pack including the likes of Affini and Valter (Visma), Magnus Sheffield of Ineos, Lorenzo Milese of Moviatar and that man Mullen. Full composition coming up, with a handful of riders trying to bridge over, and more popping off the front of the pack every second.

Those early skirmishes came to nothing and now Ireland's Ryan Mullen has opened up a small gap for Bora-Hansgrohe. Affini is one of the riders to react and a big group forms in pursuit.

After a brief lull, the first attack comes in from Mattia Bais of Polti-Kometa. He's joined by Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) with Jan Tratnik (also Visma) latching on.

Australia's Nick Shultz will not take to the start today so Israel-Premier Tech are down to just three riders now: Clarke, Frigo and Hofstetter. They might as well share buses with Visma-Lease a Bike, who are down to four.

The remaining 143 riders are edging their way towards kilometre zero and the start of today's nineteenth stage.

Our man on the moto, Adam Blythe, had this to say at the start just now: "I think 55% of the riders today are going to be going for it. The sprinters will be looking to get through, the GC riders will be keeping an eye on each other... But interestingly for me today, this is a day where the breakaway is going to be so hard-fought for that a GC guy might slip in there and cause a bit of chaos. So it's a breakaway day where some of the riders a bit lower down on GC are just hoping they can slide into the breakaway."

Local rider Alessandro De Marchi will surely move heaven and earth to make the breakaway today as he rides through his home region of Friuli in north-east Italy. The Jayco-AlUla veteran had a slight tumble on the run-in yesterday but should be on the nose sniffing out the early moves today.

Check this out: because the speeds at this Giro have been so fast, the organisers have decided to postpone the start by 10 minutes in order for the finish to align with their estimates/hopes/intentions. It's also because - like us, like everyone - they are anticipating a very fast start as many, many riders seek to make the right move.

Well, feast your eyes on the highlights - from the heavy downpours as the breakaway edged ahead, to the sunshine on the road to Padova and, ultimately, that thrilling bunch sprint in the main piazza - and a magical win for Merlier.

Beyond the battle for stage spoils - which should be fierce - there are things still at stake in the GC. Sure, Pogacar really can't relinquish his vice-like grip on pink even if he tried, but here are the other factors at play:

Battle for second: Just 22 seconds separate Martinez and Thomas in a head-to-head that has swung both ways over the last few weeks.

Battle for the top five: If a place on the podium looks beyond O'Connor right now, he will have to look over his shoulder to protect his fourth place from Tiberi, with Arensman also only 41 seconds back as well.

Battle for the white jersey: As mentioned above, just 41 seconds separate Tiberi and Arensman so it's all still left to play for.

Battle for the top 10: Lorenzo Fortunato would need a big performance today and/or tomorrow - coupled with a bad day for the Czech veteran Jan Hirt. But stranger things have happened.

1. Tadej Pogacar
2. Dani Martinez +7:42
3. Geraint Thomas +8:04
4. Ben O'Connor +9:47
5. Antonio Tiberi +10:29
6. Thymen Arensman +11:10
7. Roman Bardet +12:42
8. Einer Rubio +13:33
9. Filippo Zana +13:52
10. Jan Hirt +14:44

There is then a gap of almost two minutes back to 11th place Lorenzo Fortunato.

Here’s what’s in store for the remaining riders today with a fierce battle for the breakaway no doubt on the cards for the first flat opening hour or so of racing. It’s just 157km long with all the climbs packed into the second half of the stage. First up is the 18% gradients of the Passo Duron, followed by the Sella Valcalda and then the long and uneven climb up to Sappada (8.3km at 4.8% with a maximum tilt of 15%). The last 7km are downhill and then there’s a ramp up towards the home straight.

Yesterday’s finale in Padova was pretty special given the two riders who came out on top had to come from very deep. Kaden Groves and Alberto Dainese must have felt like the time was finally theirs after both Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan found themselves well out of position. But Merlier powered through late on the right – and although the road opened up for him, Milan was unable to hit a high enough speed to pass the Belgian, who, for the first time in his career, wins a stage beyond the opening week of a Grand Tour.

Twenty-four hours before the final GC showdown on Monte Grappa, the Giro d’Italia heads to Sappada via three categorised climb on a day that should suit a big and strong breakaway going the distance. Tadej Pogacar will be on red alert as he takes the pink jersey ever closer to Rome, but despite the history of Sappada – the location of Stephen Roche’s so-called betrayal of team-mate Roberto Visentini – it’s unlikely that we will see any big changes at the top of the standings.