Giro d'Italia: Omar Fraile flies through stage 11 to claim victory

Omar Fraile (DDD) was just the strongest rider of the breakaway today. After escaping from the first group (that contained 24 riders) with another Spanish rider Mikel Landa (Sky), Fraile was in front until the chasing group was 20″ away from Landa and himself, at 40km of the goal. As Landa kept going, Fraile chose to slow down and rejoin the chasing group to recover a little bit from his duet breakaway. Once Landa has finally been rejoined and that Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) attacked, Fraile jumped in the Frenchman’s wheel to earn the king of mountain points.

The two riders continued their effort and conserved their tiny advantage on the chasing group, even if Kangert (Astana) and Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) joined them. In a thrilling sprint, Fraile was the most powerful on a slight uphill final. It is his first success since two years, and undoubtedly the most beautiful of his career so far. Rui Costa and Pierre Rolland complete the podium.

The favorites group crossed the line 1’37” behind the Spaniard, while the losers of the day, Geraint Thomas (Sky) and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) lost 50 seconds today on the main favorites group. The Welshman was already far from the pink jersey after his crash on Sunday, and even if he regained some hope after recovering some time yesterday in the time trial, he lost some precious seconds today on the Italian roads. It is status quo between the favorites, as the GC TOP 5 remains unchanged.

Omar Fraile (DDD) wins!!!!! Rui Costa (UAETEam Emirates) takes the second place and Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) is third.

1km to go as the four riders in front, Kangert (Astana), Rolland (Cannondale Drapac), Fraile (DDD) and Rui Costa (UAE TEam Emirates) are going to sprint for the win.

2km The riders in front are looking at each other as Tanel Kangert escaped from the chasing group to join the three men!

5km The chasing group is only 10″ behind the three riders in front. Will the chasers will catch the chased?

5.7km Rui Costa already won three times in 2017. He is the probably the rider who has the best chance to win.

7.4km The Maglia Rosa group is still 2′ behind the three riders leading the race. It seems like no one of the favorites will make a move in the last kilometers.

9.2km Rui Costa joins Fraile and Rolland in front of the race!

12.8km Fraile is giving it all at the moment to conserve the little margin he has with Rolland on the chasing group. The Spaniard has been astonishing today. After spending all day in front with Landa (Sky), he has been joined by the chasing group and he escaped again of this group to join Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) in front of the race. He is without any doubt the rider of the day and he deserves the win today.

13km Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) escaped from the chasing group. He is 10″ behind Fraile and Rolland.

13.9km Omar Fraile and Pierre Rolland have 16″ of advance on the chasing group. Both of these riders did not win since 2015.

Only 15km to go until Bagno di Romagna!

18km Pinot (FDJ) is now joined by the main group containing all the favorites. This group is 2’03” behind the head of the race (Rolland and Fraile).

20.5km Fraile (DDD) and Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) are resisting to the chasing group as they have an advantage of 16″. They collaborate so far, and they will have to do so until the finish line if they don’t want to see the chasing group coming back.

23km The peloton of the favorites reach the top of the Monte Fumaiolo, just a few seconds after Pinot, who is probably going to be joined soon.

24.9km Pinot attacks! The Frenchman anticipates the downhill. Nibali is pushing hard to join the FDJ rider.

25.7km Rolland was alone in front of the race but he has just been joined by Omar Fraile, who came back on the Frenchman after having spent all day in front. What a performance from the Spaniard, who takes the first place at the top of the climb.

26.2km Attack of Nibali! The shark is trying to escape but the favorites are following. He is insisting by climbing at a high pace.

26.4km The peloton is decimated by the change of rhythm of Pelizotti, there is only 15 riders left in the Maglia Rosa group.

26.9km Franco Pelizotti (Bahrain Merida) is suddenly accelerating in front of the peloton, with Nibali (Bahrain Merida) in his wheel! The Shark is going to make a move.

27km The three riders in front have now 11 seconds of advance on the chasing group, led by Ben Hermans (BMC).

29km The Belgian Laurens De Plus escapes in front of the race. Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) is with him, and Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) as well.

29.7km There is 4 kilometers to go to the top of the last difficulty of the day, the Monte Fumaiolo. The riders in fornt of the race will attack the hardest slopes soon.

31.2km The Team Sunweb still has three riders doing the job for Tom Dumoulin, with their leader. The team FDJ and Trek-Segafredo are still helping them. The pace is faster as many riders are distanced at therear of the peloton.

32.7km The situation is unchanged in front of the race. We can see on this route of the stage, how the downhill will be decisive after the top of the climb (where the harder slopes are). Pinot (FDJ) is not at ease in the downhills and he better be in front of the peloton before diving into the finish kilometers.

34.6km The configuration of the race is simple now. The first group, led by the Movistar riders Herrada, Amador and Rojas is trying to maintain the gap with the peloton. The bunch, where Tom Dumoulin and all the favorites are, is 2’50” behind the first group.

36km New update in front of the race!

#Giro100 – Landa is behind caught again by Herrada. Amador wants the stage. 2’57” for the pink yersey group at the moment.

— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) May 17, 2017

38.4km Landa (Sky)is not giving up. He insists in front of the race. Fraile (DDD) cannot follow the rhythm and lets the Sky driver alone in front of the race.

40.5km Movistar keeps pushing in the chasing group, Rojas and Herrada give everything to launch Amador. Some attacks will probably spark in a few kilometers. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida) may be one of the riders attacking, as the downhill after the climb will play in his favor.

41.7km The chase engaged by the second group and the peloton is really effective. Indeed, Landa and Fraile have a tiny advantage of 19″ on the chasing group and 3’21” on the peloton.

42.7km Here is the profile of the Monte Fumaiolo, that the riders are starting right now.

43km FDJ and Trek-Segafredo, for Thibaut Pinot and Bauke Mollema has joined the Team Sunweb in the front of the peloton. Both teams are collaborating to reduce the gap with the leading groups. Pinot had a disappointing ride yesterday during the Time Trial. Will we see him attack today on the steepest slopes of the Monte Fumaiolo?

45km The team Movistar has three riders in the chasing group: Rojas, Herrada, and Amador. They are probably preparing an attack of Amador in the next difficulty, to why not take the pink jersey tonight.

The gaps between the groups with 49km to go.

⚡️ Live ???????? @MikelLandaMeana, @OmarFraile > 1’39” Chasers (20 riders) > 4’50” Gruppo ???? Bagno di Romagna ???? 49 km#Giro100

— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 17, 2017 48.4km The gap between Landa and Fraile and the chase group is 1’35. The chasing group may rejoin the two riders in the front of the race. The gap with the peloton is still about 5′. 50km The two Spaniards are passing now on the finish line. A circuit of 50km around Bagno di Romagna will be performed by the riders of the Giro. 55km Landa and Fraile just reached the top of the Passo del Carnaio. Three of the four categorized climbs are behind the riders. The last difficulty, the Monte Fumaiolo, will be the last difficulty of the day before diving into a fast downhill leading to the finish line. Omar Fraile, the Spanish rider from Dimension Data, talks about his source of motivation for today. Will it be enough to finish this stage at the first place?

62.7km The two Spanish riders riding in front have now an advantage of 4’53 on the Maglia Rosa group, containing all the favorites. It seems like the Team Sunweb is determined to maintain the gap on the second part of the climb. Andrey Amador (Movistar), present in the chasing group, is the most dangerous rider for Dumoulin, as the Costa Rican is 9th of the GC, 4’39” behind Dumoulin. 63.5km Landa and Fraile keep pushing, trying to increase the gap, while the chasing group does not collaborate. The Spanish from Movistar Jesus Herrada just tried to escape from the second group.

67km The riders are now in the third climb of the day, the Passo del Carnaio.

70km The pink jersey Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) still has four teammates with him in the peloton 82km Mikel Landa (Sky) and Omar Fraile (DDD) have an advantage of 2’15” on the chasing group containing 23 riders and 5’23” over the peloton. The bunch is not panicking and controls the gap with the riders on the front of the race. LIVE UPDATES ABOVE Hello and welcome on Yahoo! Sports UK to follow the 11th stage of the Giro d’Italia, connecting Florence to Bagno di Romagna.