Frenchman breaks clear to claim victory on brutal ride
Simon Yates still in third spot in general classification
Nicolas Prodhomme claimed the first Grand Tour stage win of his career when he rode solo to victory on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia on Friday, while Mexico’s pink jersey holder, Isaac del Toro, came second to extend his overall lead.
On their penultimate day in the mountains, the riders faced a brutal 166km ride from Biella to Champoluc with five classified climbs and a total elevation gain of nearly 5,000m. Prodhomme, from the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team, broke free on the fourth climb to take the lead and eventually the victory to become the first Frenchman to win a Giro stage this year.
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