Giro d'Italia stage 19: Gravellona Toce > Cervinia, 236kms

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Esteban Chaves is part of a big escape trying to get away - and eventualy they do get away..!

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Anthony Roux needs a shoe change, as you do with three days to go..!

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Michael Hepburn is given the task of carrying bottles to his teamates - it starts well...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

But then Hepburn needs the help of a Green Edge mechanic to get the contraption on his back..

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Fully lowded, Hepburn carries the bottles towards his thirsty teamates...

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41-year-old Alessandro Petacchi is feeling the pace in today's long and rapid stage, but he'll finish another Giro for sure..!

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Davide Formolo makes a quick a wheel-change...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Ryder Hesjedal isn't trying to steal some Giro balloons - he's changing a wheel with some help from Nathan Brown..!

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Hesjedal is last in the peloton as the Alps loom on the horizon..

Pavel Kochetkov leads Chaves, Kiryienka and Visconti on to the first major climb...

Visconti tries a tentative attack...

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Chaves and Kiryienka cool off as the climb bites into their legs...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

The peloton climbs the Col de Saint-Barthelemey against a wondrous Alpine backdrop...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Alberto Contador is in the peloton, behind his Tinkoff teamates, but with no idea of the paradise around him...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Visconti is one-minute ahead on the Saint-Pantaleon climb...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

The peloton is led by Astana on the Saint-Pantaleon...

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Kochetkov is chasing but getting no closer..

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

The peloton is led by Astana on the Saint-Pantaleon...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Alberto Contador looks as serene today as he was on the start-line almost three weeks ago - except he's in Pink..!

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Tiralongo leads Astana onto the final ascent, with no-one to chase now..!

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Mikel Landa attacks - he's followed by Contador and Hesjedal, with Aru dropped..!

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Hesjedal launches his big attack, a repeat of 2012 here..?

Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

It seems as if Hesjedal is looking at a stage-win in 2015...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Fabio Aru suddenly emerges ahead of Hesjedal, and the Italian is going full-on..!

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Rigoberto Uran attacks the Maglia Rosa group on a day that Contador cares little about, it seems...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Sky's Mikel Nieve sets the pace behind, with Konig and Contador happy to follow...

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

Fabio Aru wins stage nineteen - and doesn't he look happy about it..?!

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Giro d'Italia - Stage 19

What it's all about - the Matterhorn towers over Cervinia, even if it's called Monte Cervino from the Giro side of the mountain..!

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