Giro d'Italia stage 18: Melidé > Verbania, 172kms

T18_Verbania_plan

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

The peloton speeds around the Lake of Lugano at the start of an apparently quiet day...

scenerygiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Attacks like that of Fabio Felline fill the first hour - but no-one gets away...

trekgiro

Fumiyuki Beppu has a flat front tyre..!

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

After a good strong hour, Peter Weening has made it into an escape of 15 riders...

ogegiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

China's Ji Cheng and Japan's Fumiyuki Beppu swap notes as the escape pulls away to a 12-minute lead...

friendsgiro

Tinkoff leads the chase, on a day that has already been donated to the escape...

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Philippe Gilbert and Kantstantsin Siutsou lead the escape towards the final climb with an eleven-minute escape...

bmcskygiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Leopold Konig takes on his lunch, is this a day for Sky's new leader..?

skyfeedgiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

There's not a cyclist in sight, but Lake Maggiore is about to play host to one of this Giro's best stages..!

scenerygiro

David de la Cruz leads the escape on to the main climb, the Monte Olongo

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Nine minutes later, Alberto Contador attacks from the peloton, with Kruijswijk chasing...

magliagiro

Giovanni Visconti leads a chase group with Amador, but Aru and Landa have yet to catch them...

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Contador is away and looking like a real winner of the Giro..!

magliagiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Aru chases and Landa have caught the Movistar chase and chase Contador who is over one minute in front...

astanagiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Contador is alone, but he looks at a loss as to what to do...

magliagiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Ryder Hesjedal is chasing strongly at 20-seconds, the man knows no limits..!

garmingiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Chad Haga is riding very well in the no-man's land between the leaders and the chasers - he'll take a very fine 9th place on the stage!

alpecingiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Fans cheer Contador as he appears to be leading the way un-challenged...

fansgiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Visconti is still chasing Contador with fourth overall Amador in his shadow...

movistargiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Contador is starting to struggle with Hesjedal closing in...

magliagiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Hesjedal catches Contador and goes on the offensive right away..!

garmingiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Hesjedal leads towards the first summit, with one-minute over the Aru-Landa chase group...

garmingiro

Villeilla has dropped off the escape to aid Hesjedal and pull him further away...

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Yuri Trofimov leads the chase at over one minute with Aru and Landa right behind..!

katushadescendinggiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Landa and Aru chase Contador and Hesjedal, but the damage has been done in some way with two tough stages still to come...

astanagiro

Giro d'Italia - Stage 18

Philippe Gilbert has won stage eighteen after a downhill attack - Contador remains as race-leader...

bmcgiro