Giro d'Italia 2023 Stage 14 LIVE - A straightforward day in pink beckons for Geraint Thomas, as the sprinters reckon with a steep mid-stage test

Giro d'Italia
Stage 14 | Mountain | men | 20.05.2023
Completed
SierreCassano Magnago
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Nick Christian
By
Nick Christian
Updated 20/05/2023 at 15:19 GMT
16:17
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BRUNO ARMIRAIL IS THE NEW MAGLIA ROSA!

Geraint Thomas crosses the line in the company of his team-mates, 21'16 behind the stage winner. That puts Armirail in the pink jersey with a lead of around a minute and a half.
Apart from the 2022 French national TT championships, he's never won a significant race in his career, always working in service to the likes of Thibaut Pinot. What a reward for so many years of sacrifice. He's the first French maglia this century.
16:12
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DENZ: I FELT SUPER GOOD TODAY
"I had the opportunity to go for the break again today, which I used. Then I was marking Trek, Israel and Movistar who were all with numbers. I thought we had lost it, because it seemed they couldn't close it. Then the attacks went on the hills. I still felt really good so I followed and in the end we almost closed it, but they stopped pushing. I thought it was all for nothing - I didn't want to finish fourth so I closed it. When Bettiol launched I jumped on his wheel and went through to the line. Again, crazy!"

"It was so tough today. Down from the pass I had three jackets on, I was so cold. It was really disgusting. In the end it's just a question of mindset. I knew I was going well and I wanted to give it a try. Super happy!"
16:04
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BRUNO ARMIRAIL FINISHES 40 SECONDS DOWN
He's got about ten minutes to wait to find out if he'll be wearing the maglia rosa tomorrow. Ineos Grenadiers continue to control the peloton. Are they pulling it, or making sure no-one else does?
16:04
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TOP THREE

1. Nico Denz (Bora Hansgrohe)
2. Derek Gee (Israel PremierTech)
3. Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)
15:59
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NICO DENZ WINS STAGE 14!

By about half a wheel in the end. Heartbreak for Derek Gee, but also for Oldani Ballerini and Skujins. They didn't mess about they just ran out of legs. Oldani launched early, catching the other two unawares, but it was far too early in the end and they were able to tag him. It looked like the trio might have it until the five were behind them, then overtaking them with Alberto Bettiol leading it out. The EF rider finished third in the end.
15:56
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PHOTO FINISH!
The victory is between Nico Denz and Derek Gee. Denz certainly crossed the line with his arms in the air as if he was sure he'd doubled up. I'll explain how that one came back together in a moment. It seemed impossible until it happened.
15:55
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FLAMME ROUGE: THREE RIDERS CAN BEGIN TO DREAM
Two good sprinters here. Fasten your shoes and seatbelts. We're about to have a three-up sprint.
15:50
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5KM TO GO: THIS ONE IS GOING TO THE WIRE
Five riders are hunting down three, as Nico Denz, Alberto Bettiol, Derek Gee and Marius Mayrhofer, plus now Laurenz Rex, are riding hard to pull back Skujins, Ballerini and Oldani. 15 seconds is all that separates them and that could so easily become nothing if they don't keep working together, or run out of legs.

As an additional detail, as things stand, Bruno Armirail will be the maglia rosa this evening.
15:44
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10KM TO GO: RENEWED IMPETUS IN THE CHASING GROUP
The last few lumps and bumps have seen what was nearly a minute of advantage almost halved. Mayrhofer rides on the front before signalling enthusiastically for someone else to come through and pull. There seems to be some belief, if not total, that they can do it. Movistar are no longer present, which might be why, as the non-sprinters will know they won't just be pulling the race back for a sprint that the Colombian would inevitably win.

As that group is breaking up, so the front four is now three. Rex has been dropped due to an acceleration from Skujins.
15:29
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20KM TO GO: THE GAP CONTINUES TO GROW
While the race seems to be rolling away with the four riders up the road, just riding through the town of Crugnola, behind Bruno Armirail must be a very happy bunny. He's currently little more than a minute from the virtual maglia rosa. A massive 13km separates them on the road. King Sean still thinks it'll come back enough by the finish. He also has his money on one of these four. Which one, though?
15:17
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30KM TO GO: ADVANTAGE SKUJINS GROUP
Despite having higher numbers, the group behind does not contain as many riders willing to work to bring the smaller group back, as those four have prepared to pull it away. Movistar can't do it on their own, nor can Israel PremierTech, as Stevie Williams briefly comes to the front to give Barta a rest.
15:10
35KM TO GO: WHISPER IT QUIETLY
But the time gap back to the peloton is approaching a significant size. Now nearly 16 minutes, it's just a couple shy of the count that could bring Armirail into contention for the maglia rosa. Rob Hatch asks if Ineos might be deliberately trying to give Geraint Thomas the night of leader's responsibilities, but Sean Kelly politely dismisses the suggestion. "I think you're barking up the wrong tree," he says.
15:02
43KM TO GO: JACKETS COMING OFF
The four riders up the road are getting organised. They know exactly what they have to do. So do Movistar, who have Will Barta on the front. Stephen Williams briefly parts company with the larger group, but the gap is too great for him to make it on his own and he soon sits up.
14:54
49KM TO GO: TOM SKUJINS MAKES IT ACROSS
We have a quartet of strength with 22 seconds in hand over the 24 riders behind. That will reduce the firepower behind, as the remaining Trek riders won't be working anymore.
14:51
54KM TO GO: GAVIRIA'S TEAM-MATES FORCED TO CHASE

As the gap to what is now three riders has increased to a potentially problematic size. The third rider is Davide Ballerini, who has made it across to Oldani and Rex
14:47
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56KM TO GO: LAURENZ REX ATTACKS
And he's followed by Stefano Oldani (Alpecin Deceuninck) with the pair passing through the intermediate sprint at Stresa, which is of no consequence to anyone here, especially at this point in proceedings.
14:45
57KM TO GO: BETTIOL AND DENZ PULLED BACK
The countdown to the next attack begins.
14:39
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63KM TO GO: ALBERTO BETTIOL ATTACKS
De Marchi can only keep a lid on rider ambitions for so long. Just a couple of kilometres later Bettiol makes an injection of pace down the right hand side of the group, and pulls away from the breakaway. Is this a good move? No-one looked to follow at first, but Nico Denz (Bora Hansgrohe) has just taken it upon himself to go after the Italian. Given there are a few teams with numbers in this, you'd expect it to be more of a soft tester of a first attack than a fully committed effort.
14:36
65KM TO GO: IT'S STARTING
A few riders, if they're not already on maneuvers, are looking like they're thinking about when to light things up. Alessandro De Marchi comes to the front and gestures to a few of the perkiest to just keep rolling through for now.
14:32
70KM TO GO: KONYCHEV IN NO-MAN'S LAND
Our man on the motorbike, Jens Voigt, informs us that the Corratec-SelleItalia has been riding pretty much all day about halfway between the breakaway and the peloton. Is he being punished by his team? Can't think why else he might be flogging himself like this, or what he could possibly gain from the hopeless endeavour.