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Further note: don't exaggerate things in order to get an eyecatching opening. I'd always thought that in the last few days of this Giro, we'd see at least one of Nibali and Alejandro Valverde taking big chunks of time out of Steven Kruijswijk. What I didn't know was if those chunks of time would be big enough.
I definitely didn't expect yesterday.
What could prove to be the defining moment of this year's Giro came on a standard-looking right hander on a fast descent, as Kruijswijk slightly overcooked it, and went into a big snow bank by the side of the road, flipping him right over his handlebars. Kruijswijk got back up and onto the bike, but the damage was already done, as he'd dropped a minute to Nibali and Esteban Chaves.
It may not feel like it right now, but Kruijswijk was comparatively lucky. At around the same time, Ilnur Zakarin went off, but instead of a wall of snow, he went down a grass slope, breaking his collarbone in the process, immediately ending what had looked a solid if unspectacular Giro to that point.
Having got back in the saddle, with a bloodied arm and leg (as well as a cracked rib that would be discovered later), Kruijswijk either couldn't get his rhythm back, or simply didn't have it in him. Valverde, who had looked in big trouble before the crash as he looked set to drop more time to the leader, was next to slip past the Dutchman, followed by former leader Bob Jungels.
Up front, Nibali and Chaves kept up a relentless pace, the Italian defying his doubters by kicking on again as the stage came to a close, jumping clear of Chaves after two attacks up the final climb up to Risoul. Nibali was almost a minute clear of Chaves, who was beaten into second by Mikel Nieve (SKY).
After taking the win, a tough last few days caught up with Nibali, who burst into tears as his dreams of winning his second Giro, which looked dim at best a couple of days ago, came sharply into focus, as he now lies second, just 44 seconds behind Chaves.
Kruijswijk, meanwhile, did manage to cling onto a podium spot, for the time being at least. He seemed a broken man as he crossed the line, but limited his losses enough to keep his nose in front of Valverde overnight. He's been declared fit to ride in the penultimate stage, but due to the injuries he picked up in his crash yesterday who knows if he'll be able to truly compete.
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It'd be especially cruel for Kruijswijk if he didn't even get a podium to show for his efforts, or even be able to finish the race he's led for several days. But grand tours are inherently tough and unforgiving, and Kruijswijk has learned the hard way that a tiny loss in concentration can ruin three weeks' hard work.
As for the pink jersey he surrendered to Chaves, today's Stage 20 should be the one where it's decided, barring a final stage dash for the line. Nibali will be his main challenger at less than a minute down, but expect a huge effort from Movistar to try to get Valverde past at least one of them. Just make sure you pay attention.
Steven Kruijswijk (TLJ):
"I fucked up. A stupid mistake. I hurt so much.
"I made a wrong move and crashed in that wall of snow. After I started riding, everything hurt. I felt pain in my back and my ribs, and my morale was broken. I knew that I had lost time and tried to move on, but it was over. I lost my Giro today."
General Classification
1. Esteban Chaves (OGE) 78:14:20
2. Vincenzo Nibali (AST) + :44
3. Steven Kruijswijk (TLJ) + 1:05
4. Alejandro Valverde (MOV) + 1:48
5. Rafal Majka (TNK) + 3:59
6. Bob Jungels (EQS) + 7:53
7. Andrey Amador (MOV) + 9:34
8. Rigoberto Uran (CPT) + 12:18
9. Kanstantsin Siutsou (DDD) + 13:19
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) + 14:11
Sprint Classification
1. Giacomo Nizzolo (TFS) 185
2. Diego Ulissi (LAM) 152
3. Matteo Trentin (EQS) 141
King of the Mountains
1. Damiano Cunego (NIP) 134
2. Mikel Nieve (SKY) 98
3. Stefan Denifl (IAM) 73
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