Rafal Majka had planned to go on the attack in stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia and his team had put Ivan Rovny in the early break to prepare the offensve. However, stomach pain forced him into defence mode on the final climb.

We are only a few days away from the final finish line in this year’s Giro d’Italia but nothing’s settled even though Nairo Quintana (Movitar) looks like a man who’s now hard to beat. Today’s 171 kilometer long ride from Belluno to Panarotta was another grueling mountainous one with plenty of opportunities to attack the pink jersey. Tinkoff-Saxo’s Rafal Majka was 5th overall before the stage.
 
14 riders formed the first breakaway and Tinkoff-Saxo’s Ivan Rovny flashed the jersey for the team along with among other Ivan Basso (Cannondale), Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) and Thomas De Gendt (Omega-Pharma Quick Step). At the foot of the final climb, the break had a gap of more than 6 minutes and halfway up the slope, De Gendt decided it was time to go solo.
 
Meanwhile, the Movistar team controlled the pace of the pack and no one seemed to have the legs to try and make the difference but finally Pierre Rolland (Europcar) launched a series of attacks. As Ivan Rovny drifted back to the pack of favorites, he spent his last energy on pacing the group with Majka to close the gap to Rolland.
 
Up the road, no one could prevent Arredondo from making it to the finish line alone securing the mountain jersey. Tinkoff-Saxos Rafal Majka finished with Quintana and is still 5th overall but only two seconds away from third place.
 
“We had Rovny in the first group and our plan was to make him stop taking turns up there while we wanted to put on the pressure on the penultimate climb. But as Rafa was suffering from stomach pain throughout the stage, we cancelled the move. On the final climb, it was all about limiting the losses to his rivals but in fact, he’s now only two seconds away from third place. Tomorrow, it’s every man for himself and there’s nothing else to do but to give full gas,” said DS, Lars Michaelsen after the stage.