Adriatica Ionica Race (st. 2)

Colombian from Movistar Team fights behind decisive move into Dolomitic climbs towards Lago di Misurina. Mark Padun (TBM) takes stage + GC lead.

Ukrainian Mark Padun (TBM) donned the leader’s jersey at the end of Friday’s Queen stage of the 2019 Adriatica Ionica Race, over 204km full of Dolomitic climbs from Palmanova to the Lago di Misurina / Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

A ten-man breakaway, formed in the early climbs and ultimately splitting with four ahead at the finish -Padun, Quintana (NSK, 2nd), Hermans (ICA, 3rd) and Caicedo (EF1)-, opened a gap unsurmountable for the rest of the field already before the first rated ascent, Sella di Ciampigotto (Cat-1). The selection included Winner Anacona, who was eventually dropped and forced to pursuit alone until the very finish, where he took 14th, more than six minutes behind the winner. The enormous gaps opened in today’s stage mean the Colombian is an almos identical 12th overall, 8’06” behind Padun.

The Italian event will offer the climbers a final chance to make up terrain on the hills prior to the finish in the Monte Quarin (Cat-3), the final stage to Trieste on Sunday reserved for the sprinters.

On a sidenote, today’s ‘grupetto’ with sprinters and dropped riders had to stop near the finish -and complete their effort nearly one hour after the winner- due to hailstorm, quite similar to the one affecting today’s Tour de France stage.

Cover picture (c): BettiniPhoto