Chaves, Orica ready to realize pink jersey dreams

RISOUL, FRANCE (VN) – Esteban Chaves is readying for an almighty scrap for overall victory at the Giro d’Italia in Saturday’s final mountain stage after taking the race lead on Friday.

While the Giro finishes on Sunday with the 163km stage 21 from Cuneo to Torino, the fight for the overall winner’s maglia rosa will be decided in the Alps on Saturday.

The 134km stage 20 from Guillestre to Sant’Anna di Vinadio is the last mountain stage of the Giro and includes four major categorized climbs — the category 1 Col de Vars, Col de la Bonnette, and Colle della Lombarda, as well as the third category ascent to the finish line.

After Friday’s stage 19, 162km from Pinerolo to Risoul in France, Orica – GreenEdge’s Chaves is now first overall after starting the day placed second. Now second at 44 seconds is Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who won on Friday, followed at 1 minute, 5 seconds by Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL – Jumbo) who lost first place. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde is also in the fray, sitting fourth at 1 minutes 48 seconds.

Chaves, who finished third in Friday’s stage at 53 seconds to Nibali and two seconds behind Spaniard Mikel Nieve (Sky), is wary of the tight margins with his rivals.

“Tomorrow is the toughest stage for sure,” Chaves said after Friday’s sensational stage. “The last stage [in the mountains] always is, and now there are the riders within a minute.”

However, the Colombian from Bogota is certainly not daunted by the opportunity that awaits him, that being to win his first grand tour and also become the …

continue reading in source velonews.competitor.com