Cycling: Jan Tratnik won the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia. After the second rest day, the Slovenian was part of a 28-man breakaway. From this he was finally able to pull away and shake off his last companion, Ben O'Connor, in a wave just before the finish.
Gaviria infected again with the corona virus
As expected, today at the Giro d'Italia was another day for the breakaway. Stage 16 took the professionals 229 kilometers from Udine to San Daniele del Friuli. No fewer than 28 riders broke away from the peloton after the start. It quickly became clear that this breakaway group would contest the stage victory amongst themselves, as their lead grew to well over 15 minutes during the day. Fernando Gaviria (UAE) was not participating in the Giro d'Italia at all today. The Colombian sprinter tested positive for the coronavirus again on the rest day. He was one of the first professional cyclists to contract the virus back in March at the UAE Tour.
Tratnik prevails against O'Connor
When it became clear that the breakaway riders would contest the stage win amongst themselves, disagreements within the group grew. Eventually, Jan Tratnik (Bahrain – McLaren) managed to distance himself from his companions. Ben O'Connor (NTT) later caught up with him. The duo worked well together and couldn't be caught. In a final wave before the finish line, the Slovenian launched his attack. The Australian couldn't hold onto his wheel and had to settle for second place. This marks the biggest success of Jan Tratnik's career at the age of 30. Italian Enrico Battaglin (Bahrain – McLaren) finished third, confirming an excellent team result. More than 13 minutes after the stage winner, race leader Joao Almeida (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) crossed the finish line. With an attack just before the finish, he even managed to put a few meters between himself and his rivals. The gaps will certainly be larger tomorrow in the mountain finish.
After a long time before the course and afterward it was reprised by Ben O'Connor in the most difficult day, Jan Tratnik in the best of Australia, the final mountain for the 16th stage of the #Giro2020 #Giro103 #Giro #giroditalia2020 pic.twitter.com/dF2GlHXGMx
— Les Rois du Peloton (@LRoisDuPeloton) October 20, 2020