22 Friday, May 12, 2017 SPORTS Dillier in disbelief after Giro’s Swiss BMC rider Silvan Dillier (R) celebrates as he crosses the finish thriller line ahead Belgian rival Jasper Stuyven of team Trek Terme Luigiane, Italy the Belgian. But Stuyven, who claimed his maiden Grand ilvan Dillier was in disbelief after bouncing “The stage started pretty bad for me, I had a Tour stage win at the Vuelta a Espana last year, Sback from a puncture to cap a 200km flat tyre at kilometre zero then I chased back and remained defiant, launching an attack nearly six breakaway with the biggest win of his career fought to get into the breakaway,” said Dillier. kilometres out that proved fatal to Andreetta’s Results in a thrilling Giro d’Italia sixth stage on “To beat Jasper Stuyven in a sprint like this bid to hand Italy their maiden win of the 100th Results from the sixth stage, Thursday. is crazy for me! I still can’t believe this. It’s the edition. held over 217km from BMC’s Dillier biggest victory so far for me. It’s fantastic.” “He wasn’t doing a lot of work with us, so it Reggio di Calabria to Terme suffered a flat Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels retained the race was best to get rid of him in case he’d kept his Luigiane on Thursday: tyre in the leader’s pink jersey after finishing eighth, 39secs energy for the finish,” said Stuyven of Andreetta. opening behind the frontrunners, to maintain his six- Stuyven and Dillier then dropped Postlberger Stage metres second lead on Sky’s Geraint Thomas. in the final 300 metres, but the Belgian was left 1. Silvan Dillier (SUI/BMC) 4hr 58min of an “We were hoping the breakaway would go agonisingly short as Dillier proved strongest to 01sec, until the end so the (time) bonuses were gone,” the line. “You don’t get many chances like this. 2. Jasper Stuyven (BEL/TRE) same said Jungels. I had targeted this stage,” said Stuyven, who time, undulating It meant plenty of stage victory hopefuls were finished fourth at the Paris-Roubaix one-day 3. Lukas Postlberger (AUT/BOR) at 217km ride from Reggio di left disappointed after a routine day in the saddle classic earlier in the season. 12secs, Calabria to Terme Luigiane, turned into a desperate chase. “I was a little surprised by Dillier, but this the first first stage of the 100th Dillier, Stuyven, Trek teammate Mads finish had an eight percent gradient, which is a 4. Simone Andreetta (ITA/BAR) 26, Giro edition held on the Pedersen, Austrian Lukas Postlberger and Italian little difficult for me. 5. Michael Woods (CAN/CAN) 39, Italian mainland. Simone Andreetta raced to a lead of nearly nine “I’m very disappointed.” Postlberger, who 6. Adam Yates (GBR/ORI) s.t., But, with a stage win on minutes at one stage. claimed victory in the opening stage in Olbia, 7. Wilco Kelderman (NED/SUN) s.t., his mind, the 26-year-old That was cut to five and a half minutes with Sardinia with an audacious attack that stunned 8. Bob Jungels (LUX/QST) s.t., Swiss chased back on, fought 100km to race but a lack of collaboration in the the peloton in the final kilometre, said: “I wanted 9. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) s.t., to help a five-man breakaway chase meant the frontrunners were still nearly to attack in the uphill section, but after 200 10. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) s.t. Luxembourg’s Bob escape the peloton and, in a three minutes in front 10km from the finish. kilometres of a breakaway, I didn’t know how Selected: Jungels, of the Quick Step thrilling duel with Jasper As they headed for a technical finish featuring my legs would be.” team celebrates the pink Stuyven, prevailed in the drive a series of small climbs, descents and tight At 224km, Friday’s seventh stage from 11. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) s.t., jersey of the overall leader to an uphill finish line that hairpin bends, Pedersen peeled off, his legs no Castrovillari to Alberobello is the longest of the 12. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) s.t., proved slightly too steep for longer able to maintain the unrelenting pace. race. (AFP) 14. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/TLJ) s.t., 17. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) s.t., 23. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) s.t. Embattled Bardiani focused, says Andreetta General classification Terme Luigiane Reggio di Calabria to Terme Luigiane 1. Bob Jungels (LUX/QST) 28hr 20min talian Simone Andreetta said his that saw Switzerland’s Silvan Dillier, of The peloton rides in Bagnara Calabra during the 6th 47sec, stage of the 100th Giro d’Italia, Tour of Italy Iembattled Bardiani team are focused BMC, prevail. 2. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) at 6sec, on capping their controversy-hit Giro “We showed that, despite the shock 3. Adam Yates (GBR/ORI) 10, d’Italia with a stage win after he finished at the start of the Giro, we’re reacting. 4. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) same fourth in a sixth stage thriller yesterday. We’re a very close group,” said time, Second division Bardiani, invited as Andreetta, who was part of a five-man 5. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/ALM) one of four ‘wildcard’ entries to the breakaway that outfoxed the chasing s.t., 100th edition of the race, were rocked peloton. a day before the start when Stefano “We’ll try again, for sure”. 6. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) s.t., Pirazzi and Nicola Ruffoni were thrown Andreetta, racing his maiden Giro 7. Tom Dumoulin (NED/SUN) s.t., out after failing out-of-competition d’Italia, saw his own bid peter out six 8. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) s.t., tests for growth hormones. kilometres from the finish when he 9. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) s.t., They were sent home pending the failed to respond to an attack by Trek’s 10. Andrey Amador (CRC/MOV) s.t. results of a ‘B’ sample that could lead to Jasper Stuyven, who finished second. their sacking after the race finishes in The Belgian later explained: “He Selected: Milan on May 28. (Andreetta) wasn’t doing a lot of work 11. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) s.t., But Andreetta said Bardiani are with us, so it was best to get rid of him 12. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) s.t., keen to make amends, after he finished in case he’d kept his energy for the 15. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/TLJ) s.t. fourth on a dramatic sixth stage from finish.” .