After the battle of the favourites on Monte Bondone, the sprinters took their last chance on the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023 before Sunday's finale in Rome. Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) won by a wafer-thin margin ahead of Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious). Third place went to Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla). For the German top sprinter Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates), who had won the 11th stage, finished tenth this time.
The top 10 of the 17th stage
- Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) 4:26:08
- Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:00
- Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:00
- Niccolo Bonifazio (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) +0:00
- Simone Consonni (Cofidis) +0:00
- Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) +0:00
- Andrea Pasqualon (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:00
- Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo) +0:00
- Stefano Oldani (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:00
- Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) +0:00
The winner Dainese, who had already won a stage at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, praised his German team-mates at the finish. "The first sprint that went according to plan. Today we rode a great finale with the team. Marius (Mayrhofer) did a great job and so did Niklas (Märkl). When I started my sprint, I was overtaken on the left side. I had to work my way back to Matthews. I gave everything I had in the last few metres and was on the limit. I saw Johnny (Jonathan Milan) coming and couldn't manage a proper tiger jump. But it was enough and it's nice to have gained a few centimetres. Especially after the last five days when I was ill. I had stomach and breathing problems. Today was the first day that I felt OK, at around 80 per cent," said the winner.
Giro d'Italia 2023: Thomas keeps pink jersey
Meanwhile, the classification riders had a quiet day on the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023. There were no shifts in the top ten positions in the battle for the pink jersey, which continues to be held by Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) wears. Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) remains the best-placed German driver in sixth position.
The top 10 in the overall standings
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) 71:58:43
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:18
- Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +0:29
- Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) +2:50
- Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco-AlUla) +3:03
- Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) +3:20
- Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ) +3:22
- Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM) +3:30
- Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) +4:09
- Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) +4:32
How the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023 went
After the start, four escapees broke away from the peloton: Senne Leysen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Diego Pablo Sevilla (Eolo-Kometa), Thomas Champion (Cofidis) and Charlie Quartermann (Team Corratec - Selle Italia) dominated most of the 17th stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia.
In the peloton, the sprinter teams found themselves at the front and kept the group of four on a short leash. Things got hectic again in the finale of the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023. Due to the wind conditions and winding roads, many teams wanted to ride at the front. Around 22 kilometres before the finish, Leysen broke away from his three fellow breakaway riders and remained at the front as the last remaining member of the original lead group before he too was dropped by the peloton five kilometres before the finish.
This led to a bunch sprint in Caorle. DSM and Jayco-AlUla dominated the action with their moves. Around 300 metres before the finish, Matthews opened the sprint. Dainese shot past from the Australian's slipstream 50 metres before the finish on the right. However, he was almost overtaken by Jonathan Milan, who came from far behind at an even higher speed. The finish photo brought certainty that Dainese had his tyre just ahead of the leader's in the points classification.
