© Fabio Ferrari/AP Photo
Movistar team cyclists lead the pack as they climb through fog and snow during the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello, Italy, May 27, 2014.
Movistar team cyclists lead the pack as they climb through fog and snow during the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello, Italy, May 27, 2014.
Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana's win through mist and snow-banked roads in Stage 16 of the 21-day tour propelled him into the overall lead.
Quintana, 24, known for his prodigious climbing skills, finished 8 seconds ahead of Canadian Ryder Hesjedal on the 86-mile route, which included the legendary Gavia and Stelvio climbs.
"It was raining a lot," said Quintana, of team Movistar. "We all knew it was very dangerous."
"I went at my rhythm. I gave everything today. I was climbing well in the end," Quintana said.
Quintana took the overall lead from his fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran, who slipped to second overall in what is called the general classification.
Today's stage, which was the first time that both the Gavia and the Stelvio were climbed on the same day, was a crucial test for uphill specialists such as Quintana. The 21st and final stage of the tour is scheduled for June 1, ending in the northern Italian city of Trieste.
Those climbs go up to 2700 meters! The roads are not open to the public until mid to late June because there is ALWAYS a lot of snow up there! People ski on those mountains even in August!
The weather was also way worse during this race last year, with unseasonable snow at much lower elevations.
This is a horrible article, and does not support serious dot-connecting...