With no GC ambitions on the roster, Team Giant-Shimano headed into today's mountain time trial without any big ambitions. It was all about getting safely through the day to save energy for the final sprint stage in Trieste.

Team Giant-Shimano have made it through another tough day at the Giro d’Italia without any real difficulties after today’s 26.8km uphill time trial. Georg Preidler was the fastest from the team, finishing in 35th position but already over six minutes down on the stage winner, Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

Quintana took the stage while already wearing the pink jersey of race leader, thereby comforting his overall margin before tomorrow’s final mountain stage. The Team Giant-Shimano riders were mostly limiting losses today and not going too deep, with another tough day to over come tomorrow before the final sprint opportunity on Sunday.

Albert Timmer said on the team bus after the stage: “It was a brutal climb with the last five kilometres being particularly hard. Even when you are holding a bit back it still hurts. Next focus now is tomorrow and getting through that and then I can think about Sunday.”

Simon Geschke added: “I kept my rhythm today and made sure that I did not hurt myself too much but I don’t think that I could have gone much faster if I had tried – the legs are very tired now.

“It was a great atmosphere out there today though and that made it really special, with all the fans lining the roads – it was a nice experience in this sense.”

Tomorrow’s 20th stage sees the riders cover 167km, starting in Maniago before making their way over the Passo del Pura, and the Sella Razzo before tackling the final ascent up the Monte Zoncolan to finish.