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Buitrago soloed to victory from the day’s breakaway on the Queen stage of the Giro d’Italia, beating Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-Easy Post) by 51 seconds and one minute and 46 seconds respectively.
Stage 19 from Longaroneto to the iconic, snow-capped Tre Cime di Lavaredo was a gruelling one, with the peloton tackling a typical Dolomite course of 183 kilometres.
The route took in more than 5000 metres of elevation gain and included several classic passes: Campolongo, Valparola, Giau and Tre Croci. The stage then finished with the brutal ramp to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, a 7.2-kilometre Category 1 climb with an average gradient of 7.6 per cent.
Buitrago joined the breakaway that went clear only after more than one hour of racing. The break started to explode on the Passo Giau, but it was on the following passes where the day’s strongest riders, including Buitrago and Australian Michael Hepburn, made the decisive attacks to open the gap from their breakaway companions.
In the finale, it was a duel between Gee and the Bahrain Victorious's 23-year-old Colombian climber, with the Canadian attacking first.
Buitrago managed his energy carefully in the last kilometre, controlling his rival and with 1.5 kilometres to go, accelerating to catch and overwhelm him to take a memorable win.
“I worked a lot to achieve [this victory] and the team as well," Buitrago said.
"It was important to get it, especially because up to now, my Giro was a bit grey. Today I had good legs, and I think I played my cards well."
The win is Buitrago's second victory at the Giro after his maiden success of last year in Lavarone.
"We knew that the last three kilometres were very tough, and it was fundamental to manage energy. Then it was just about giving it all.
"And I did it!" Buitrago said.
"This victory is for my girlfriend, my family and the team. Everyone knows the hard work that’s behind it.”
Behind Buitrago, Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) finished fourth on the same time as Cort and three seconds ahead of overall leader Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers).
Roglič tried to make a move only in the last two kilometres and found the response of the Maglia Rosa. Thomas launched an attack of his own with 500 metres to go and he looked to have built a gap over his rival but the Slovenian found a final surge towards the finish line.
The Slovenian caught the Welshman and extended his lead by three seconds in the last 50 metres.
Thomas now holds first place on the general classification by 26 seconds over Roglič whose acceleration before the finish line sends warning signals before tonight's penultimate stage of the Giro; a 18.6-kilometre individual time trial ending with a 7.8-kilometre climb.
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) finished the day in sixth, losing 23 seconds to Roglič. He will start tonight's individual time trial with a gap of 59 seconds to Thomas and 33 seconds to Roglič.
The Giro d’Italia continues tonight with stage 20, an individual time trial that will all but confirm the overall general classification before Sunday's finale. Tune in tonight from 7.20pm AEST on SBS On Demand, and 7.30pm AEST on SBS VICELAND.
