Watch: The moment Primož Roglič crashed on the descent and lost valuable time on stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia 2019
The Slovenian lost 40 seconds to his GC rivals after a disastrous end to the race
Primož Roglič had a day to forget on stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia 2019, as he lost 40 seconds to his GC rivals ahead of the second rest day.
With 18km remaining, Primož Roglič had a mechanical, and with a Jumbo-Visma team car not readily available, he was forced to jump on team-mate Antwan Tolhoek's bike.
Just as the Slovenian was rejoining the GC group, the man who trails him in the overall classification, Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), attacked.
The other hopefuls for the overall followed the Italian, and Roglič could not react, therefore forced to chase on the descent into the finish. Not an ideal situation when on a team-mate's bike.
Television pictures then captured the moment Roglič crashed into a guard rail round the corner on the descent.
The 29-year-old did not appear to be hurt, though, as he jumped back to his feet to continue the chase.
As Dario Cataldo (Astana) took his first Giro d'Italia stage win, Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) led the GC group across the finish line 11 seconds later.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Roglič then followed, 40 seconds further down, losing valuable seconds as the riders head into the third and final week of the Giro d'Italia 2019.
Richard Carapaz (Movistar) held a slim, seven second lead over Roglič heading into stage 15, and has now extended that to 47 seconds.
Vincenzo Nibali has also clawed back vital seconds to the Slovenian, now trailing him by a minute, with a number of mountain stages remaining before the decisive time trial on the final stage of this year's race on June 2.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.
I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
The Oura ring reviewed: is this wellness tracker helpful to cyclists?
With its focus on recovery and wellness, the Oura ring offers unique insights but is it worth the investment over other wearables?
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Shimano RC703 road shoe review: sleek, stiff and robust
Shimano's second-tier offering combines a rigid carbon sole with handy Boa dials and protective toe caps
By Sam Gupta Published