Stage 9

The road

At the start

Simon Yates tests positive

Simon Yates did not start yesterday. A positive coronavirus test, and one of the three pre-race favourites is gone between breakfast and the roll-out; five other riders left the race the same morning. Almeida still leads Bilbao by 43 seconds. Today RCS are calling it the queen stage of the Apennines — four big climbs, over 4,000 metres of it, and a final kilometre at 12% to Roccaraso.

How it was won

1. 1108 km to go

   Break forms over Lanciano

   On a cold, drizzly day the escape finally sticks on the category 1 Passo Lanciano, Bjerg burning several minutes to bridge across to the leaders.

2. 227 km to go

   Guerreiro and Castroviejo clear

   Over the wooded Bosco di Sant'Antonio, Ruben Guerreiro and Jonathan Castroviejo slip away from the rest of the break, saving their legs for the climb to Roccaraso.

3. 3At the line

   Guerreiro takes Roccaraso

   On the rise to Roccaraso, Guerreiro outsprints Castroviejo for his maiden Grand Tour stage while the GC men mark each other far below.

The result