Yates still in the hunt for 2017 Giro result

Orica-Scott’s Adam Yates was among the world’s top general classification riders at the Giro d’Italia’s Stage 14 finish in Oropa on Saturday.

The brave Briton, whose own GC hopes were dealt a harsh blow due to a freak collision with a parked motorbike on stage 9 that ultimately sent home fellow contender Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), continues to chip away on a top 10 result after a solid sixth-place performance.

Yates bested Grand Tour triple crown champion and two-time race winner Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) by two seconds after falling 41 seconds to the mountain stage winner and overall race leader Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), who picked up his second stage win in four days and extended his lead over Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

The 24-year-old found himself in an elite group of five chasers behind what would be a failed attack by Quintana before the young Brit lost touch with 2km to go.

The result moves the 2016 Tour de France best young rider — fourth overall — up two positions on GC to 13th at 7 minutes 43 seconds behind the maglia rosa and 2:07 off the top 10.

“I was up there with the best guys in the world until about two-kilometres to go,” said Yates. “I needed to hang on a couple of hundred most metres before the flat and downhill but I just fell short.”

“I lost a couple of seconds but I also gained some time on a lot of other GC guys so all-in-all I’m pretty happy.”

Yates is not the only one pleased with the day’s result, as Orica sports director Matt White also shared his thoughts following the race.

“Today was pan-flat with one climb, we saw the best guys go head-to-head and Yatesy put up a great fight,” said White.

“We have seen mountain finishes, but not proper mountain stages and we won’t see that until next week. The Dolomites are where the action is coming and that is next week.”

With the hardest of the three weeks still ahead, Yates is not done yet. And according to teammate Rubén Plaza, who talked to cycling journalist and author Rupert Guinness prior to stage 14, neither is the team in terms of fighting for its leader.

“We are going to have four or five days, hard days, but also very, very long [with] close to seven hours riding,” explained Plaza. “First and second day we can do it more or less normally, but after second hard day, it will be difficult.

“It’s time to fight, it’s time to fight,” the 37-year-old Spaniard continued. “It’s the last week and the climbers have to take time on the pink jersey. It’s an exciting week … we are ready to fight.”

1. Tom Dumoulin, NED, Team Sunweb, 3:02:34

2. Ilnur Zakarin, RUS, Katusha-Alpecin, +0:03

3. Mikel Landa, ESP, Team Sky, +0:09

4. Nairo Quintana, COL, Movistar, +0:14

5. Thibaut Pinot, FRA, FDJ, +0:35

6. Adam Yates, GBR, Orica-Scott, +0:41

7. Vincenzo Nibali, ITA, Bahrain-Merida, +0:43

1 (1). Tom Dumoulin, NED, Sunweb, 56:28:53

2 (2). Nairo Quintana, COL, Movistar, +2:47

3 (4). Thibaut Pinot, FRA, FDJ, +3:25

4 (5). Vincenzo Nibali, ITA, Bahrain-Merida, +3:40

13 (15). Adam Yates, GBR, Orica-Scott, +7:43

94 (89). Adam Hansen, AUS, Lotto Soudal, +1:30:13

122 (122). Michael Hepburn, AUS, Orica-Scott, +1:49:06

159 (158). Rory Sutherland, AUS, Movistar, +2:09:21

161 (160). Alex Edmondson, AUS, Orica-Scott, +2:10:18

168 (169). Caleb Ewan, AUS, Orica-Scott, +2:16:55

DNF — Rohan Dennis, AUS, BMC Racing (Stage 4)

DNF — Nathan Haas, AUS, Dimension Data (Stage 11)