With no GC riders on their roster, it was all about making sure that all riders finished within the time limit for Giant-Shimano in today's queen stage of the Giro d'Italia. All riders made it safely to the finish and so the team is ready to enter more favourable terrain in tomorrow's stage.

 

Today’s 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia was a race of attrition at the front end, and a race for survival at the rear as the peloton passed over some of the hardest climbs Italy has to offer. At the end of the brutal 139km stage, Georg Preidler was first home for Team Giant-Shimano at over half an hour behind stage winner, Nairo Quintana (Movistar) who also went on to take the Maglia Rosa of race leader.

 

The race started to split on the first climb of the day right from the start as Movistar put pressure on the other leaders’ teams, on the infamous Passo Gavia. The riders were already battling cold and wet conditions with the temperature dropping as the thinning bunch gained altitude. Over the top of the first climb, after just 23km there was already a select group as they headed towards the second climb of the day, the Stelvio.

 

There was real confusion at the front of the peloton here as some people were saying the descent was neutralised for safety reasons, while others kept on attacking. Quintana pulled away as a result and went on to extend his advantage up the final climb of the day, the Val Martello Martelltal, with the finish line sat atop the climb at 2059m.

 

For most of the Team Giant-Shimano riders it was a day to survive and make it to the finish, and everyone accomplished this without any real problems.

  “It really was brutal out there today, and a tough day to be on the bike,” confirmed Team Giant-Shimano coach Addy Engels. “Already on the top of the Gavia it was freezing cold and snowing and the descent after this was techincal, narrow and difficult to see.

 

“It was a case of surviving and getting to the finish in one piece today and in that respect the guys did well. You could see that it was hard to control the body on the bike on the downhills and there were guys every, changing clothes, trying to stay warm.

 

“All the guys made it home within the time cut and only Tom [Veelers] was in the final bus with most of the others in the group in front. Of course the guys are tired and look worn out but I know that everyone is OK and has made it through a seriously tough day here at the Giro.”