Wednesday’s stage 11 of Giro d’Italia 2023 welcomed the Giro peloton to a 219-kilometer ride on a hilly route from Camaiore on the Italian west coast to Tortona located further north.

The route was expected to suit the sprinters that remained in the peloton at this point of the race and the weather conditions had improved significantly since yesterday. Windy conditions, rain and low temperatures had vanished, and the sun was shining on bright green spring leaves along the route.

The day’s breakaway group for the long stretch featured Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Diego Pablo Sevilla (Eolo-Kometa), Filippo Magli (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane), Laurenz Rex (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty), and Team Corratec-Selle Italia’s Alexander Konychev and Veljko Stojnic duo. The sextet built a lead of approximately four minutes before the main peloton increased its speed to reel in the front group.

As the front group worked its way up the Passo del Bracco, their lead had been reduced to 02:40 minutes with 145 kilometers left of the day’s challenge.

Later, the front group was caught by the chasing peloton, where sprinter teams had decided today should be a day for their fast men to be celebrated on the podium.

Giro d’Italia leader Geraint Thomas crashed in a corner on the semi-wet roads together with multiple Ineos-Grenadiers teammates, but it did not take long for him to get back on his bike. Thomas’ teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart, however, was more severely injured in the same crash and was forced to abandon the race. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) was also involved in the crash but returned to racing.

Movistar’s Oscar Rodriguez also crashed and hit a road sign. Like Geoghegan Hart, he was transported from the race in an ambulance.

The multiple crashes caused confusion and wreaked havoc on the Giro peloton and in the final kilometers a crash occurred again. A reduced front peloton continued to fight for the stage victory.

Two kilometers from the finish Team DSM was leading the reduced peloton and set a fast pace for the sprinters. Astana took over and were then replaced by Trek-Segafredo.

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) launched his sprint and Mark Cavendish (Astana) countered. For a few meters it looked as if Cavendish would win the stage, but Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) moved past him shortly before the finish line.

Ackermann won the stage ahead of Milan. Cavendish took third, while Pedersen finished just outside the podium.

In the general classification Thomas now leads the Giro d’Italia by two seconds. Roglic is in second place, while Joao Almeida completes the podium spots for UAE Team Emirates. 

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