Pogacar continues Giro dominance on day of rider protests

AFP | Rome

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Tadej Pogacar continued his dominance of the Giro d’Italia after pounding his way to victory in yesterday’s shortened 16th stage, which started three hours late after riders rebelled at demands they race through snow.

Slovenian cycling superstar Pogacar burst to the fifth stage win -- and second in a row -- of his first ever Giro to take another big step towards a third triumph at a Grand Tour.

The two -time Tour de France winner could have held his position in the peloton and still led the three-week race handsomely but he surged past Giulio Pellizzari in the final kilometre before holding five fingers aloft as he crossed the line.

Pogacar gave Pellizzari his overall leader’s pink jersey as the pair embraced at the end of a tumultuous stage which was overshadowed by a revolt against race organisers RCS.

Riders were supposed to begin a 202-kilometre mountain stage between Livigno and Santa Cristina Val Gardena at 11:20am (0920 GMT) but plans were changed after hours of discussion, confusion and anger within the peloton and the race began at 2:30pm.

The stage was twice shortened and eventually began in Laas, 118km from the finish, due to the hazardous conditions after a rider revolt against organisers who pushed for a full day’s racing.

“The day started really on and off and we didn’t know what to do but once we started racing it was fine,” said Pogacar.