Giro d’Italia. Vincenzo Nibali moves to 5th place in GC after “Mortirolo” stage
The 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia proved to be a difficult test for all riders, but Vincenzo Nibali of the Astana Qazaqstan Team managed to finish 9th and move up to 5th place in the General Classification. In a post-race statement, Nibali expressed his gratitude towards his teammates for their outstanding performance:
“Well, it was a tough challenge for everyone. We tried to do a strong and active race and the guys were working really well, so I want to thank my teammates for that. Then, it was Bahrain who went in front to set the pace and it was a fast one. The last climb… I did all I could, but in the final it was just too much for me, so I tried to continue on my own rhythm until the end. I think we did maximum today and let’s see how the next stages will turn out.”
Stage 16, which covered a distance of 202 km from Salo to Aprica, featured four categorized climbs with a total elevation gain of over 5000 meters. The Astana Qazaqstan Team took control of the pink jersey group at the bottom of the infamous climb Passo del Mortirolo, setting a high pace and making a significant selection in the peloton.
During the steep slopes of the final climb, Valico di Santa Cristina, only a small group of General Classification contenders managed to keep up with the leaders. Nibali pushed hard to stay in contention but fell behind near the top of the climb, finishing 40 seconds behind the pink jersey group and securing 9th place. This result propelled the Astana rider to fifth place in the overall standings, trailing the pink jersey Richard Carapaz by 3 minutes and 40 seconds.
Jan Hirt, a Czech rider, claimed a solo victory after launching a late attack from the breakaway group.
The Giro d’Italia continues with more challenging stages ahead. Nibali and his teammates will aim to maintain their strong performance and climb even higher in the General Classification.
[Photo Credit: @Gettysport](https://cdn.astana-qazaqstan.com/app/uploads/2022/05/24165831/GettyImages-1399033749copy.jpg)
