Team Sky ward off late threat as Pavel Sivakov takes maiden GC win in the Tour of the Alps
Fausto Masnada eventually took the stage win after threatening Sivakov's GC lead
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8M9zRCqxGQCGpNpeGt9ipT-415-80.jpg)
Pavel Sivakov wins the 2019 Tour of the Alps (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Team Sky staved off a late assault on their GC ambitions in the 2019 Tour of the Alps as Pavel Sivakov claimed his maiden stage race win.
For a while it looked like Fausto Masnada (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic) could snatch the leader's jersey, as he opened up a virtual lead of over three minutes in the overall classification as the Italian went in the day's break and exploded the leading group on the final climb.
Masnada was not left with nothing, though, as he claimed the stage win after attacking Carlos Quintero (Manzana Postobon) on the flat with only a couple of kilometres remaining.
In second place overall was Sivakov's team-mate, Tao Geoghegan-Hart, who finished 27 seconds down on the Russian. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) was third, 33 seconds behind Sivakov, with Mattia Cattaneo (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic) moving up to fourth, after finishing with the GC group of Sivakov, finishing over two minutes down on the day to Masnada who managed to sneak into the top five on GC.
It was the last outing in a Team Sky jersey for Chris Froome, who played a pivotal part in closing the gap by taking a huge turn on the front to guard Sivakov's lead.
The 21-year-old Sivakov said in his post-race interview: "Today was a really tricky race with a really strong breakaway but the team did it perfectly. For a bit there I was a bit stressed but the guy's did just amazing. This isn't just my victory, it's our victory, with Tao winning two stages and today we managed the race perfectly. It's just amazing you know."
How it happened
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The final 147.8km course featured two servings of climbing as the last chance to shake things up on GC. First up was the second category Collalbo/Klobenstein followed by the final climb of the Tour of the Alps, the first category San Genesio.
A large group of 18 riders went away quickly, before a whittling down process began leaving a to produce a breakaway group of nine riders: Dario Cataldo (Astana), Nikita Stalnov (Astana), Fausto Masnada (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Álvaro Cuadros (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Roland Thalmann (Vorarlberg Santic), Carlos Quintero (Manzana Postobon), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskadi Basque Country - Murias), Simone Velasco (Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM), and Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2r la Mondiale). After 90km of racing, they had opened up an advantage of 6-40.
On the descent to Bozen, Rafał Majka and one of his Bora-Hansgrohe team-mates crashed just before the start of the final climb of the Tour of the Alps up to San Genesio.
It was in fact at the base of San Genesio where Masnada started to increase the pressure on the breakaway group, dropping all of them bar Quintero, as he went into the virtual overall lead.
With 6-30 advantage ahead of the main bunch containing Sivakov, Masnada needed to finish with an advantage of at least 3-37 to claim the overall classification.
Team Sky then began the chase, with Froome blowing apart the peloton as they raced onto the San Genesio.
Froome eventually pulled off the front with 30km remaining and only a few kilometres of the climb left, with Majka also falling back but eventually hanging on.
Almost as soon as Froome had dropped, Nibali attacked. Sitting fourth in GC and 33 seconds down, the Italian needed to animate the race in order to give himself a chance of victory.
Sivakov followed Nibali's wheel, with Jan Hirt (Astana), Geoghegan Hart and Cattaneo all getting back on as well.
As the two up front crested the top of San Genesio, Masnada had a 30 second virtual lead in the overall classification. Further back, Nibali attacked once more with Sivakov again grabbing the Italian's wheel as the group stayed together, but Masnada's advantaged was collapsing.
With 23km remaining, Sivakov was back in the virtual lead, as Quintero suffered a mechanical and Masnada decided not to wait for him. The two did come back back together, but the previous agreement of Masnada aiming for the GC and Quintero being allowed to take the stage win was left in tatters.
Their advantage eventually came down to around the two-minute mark, with Masnada attacking Quintero with 1.6km remaining, opening up a gap over the Colombian as he took his second stage win of the week.
Results
Tour of the Alps 2019, stage five: Kaltern/Caldaro - Bozen/Bolzano (147.8km)
1 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic, in 4-02-26
2 Carlos Quintero (Col) Manzana Postobon, at 7 seconds
3 Simone Velasco (Ita) Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM, at 1-31
4 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana, at same time
5 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Vorarlberg Santic, at 1-33
6 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, at 2-14
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
8 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic
9 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (Gbr) Team Sky
10 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky, all at same time
General classification after stage five
1 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky, in 18-58-00
2 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky, at 27s
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, at 33s
4 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic, at 1-03
5 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermic, at 1-13
6 Rafał Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 1-46
7 Jan Hirt (Cze) Astana Pro Team, at 2-03
8 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana, at 2-58
9 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Vorarlberg Santic, at 3-14
10 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo, at 4-27
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
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. 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.
-
Kask finally reveals the secrets behind aero ears with new Nivarna helmet
The new helmet has been used by Ineos since January, but now it's available to the public
By Joe Baker Published
-
MADE, world’s largest handmade bike show, returns to Portland this August; tickets on sale now
MADE, the world’s largest celebration of the art and craftsmanship of bicycle building, will return for its second edition in Portland, Oregon, this August.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
It's time to stop expecting so much of Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France
The British team are always under pressure to match their past best, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tom Pidcock says Ineos Grenadiers will be 'better' at the Tour de France without Steve Cummings
Netflix series depicted tension between the DS and rider, dynamic sources told Cycling Weekly carries a degree of accuracy
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'dreaming' of taking yellow jersey on opening weekend of Tour de France
British rider hopes to play starring role in Italian Grand Départ
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I think I'll get the opportunity to go for a stage' - Geraint Thomas relishing support role at Tour de France
Former yellow jersey winner says this year's race "could be my last"
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Carlos Rodríguez to lead Ineos Grenadiers at Tour de France, supported by Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock
British squad will aim to "race aggressively and disrupt" at the French Grand Tour
By Adam Becket Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Tom Pidcock
According to the man himself, he's never had a hangover. It's alright for some.
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock adds extra mountain bike race to schedule, one week before Tour de France
Pidcock confirms he will race World Cup event in Crans Montana, Switzerland ahead of Olympic title defence
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
5 things we learned from the first week of the 2024 Giro d’Italia
The Italian Grand Tour is firmly underway and Tadej Pogačar is in the pink jersey. Here are our takeaways from the first week of action
By Tom Thewlis Published