A crash in the last 25 kilometers of the race completely altered the stage and its outcome.
It was a day of general classification drama at the Corsa Rosa, which visited Slovenia for an unprecedented finish in Nova Gorica. It also was a fast day of racing, with a huge group featuring Josef Cerny and Luke Lamperti trying to go clear only for the peloton to respond furiously and keep things together before finally allowing five riders to snap the elastic.
The rain started soon after, but the group kept the gap in check and by the time they entered the final circuit – which took them through the streets of Gorizia before crossing the border – the escapees held a 50-second advantage over the bunch. Just 23 kilometers from the finish, a multi-rider crash on the slippery roads of Gorizia – where Paolo Bettini won the 2006 Italian Championships for our team – made everything really chaotic. The peloton was reduced to a 15-man group that continued to chase the breakaway, while some of the GC riders lost precious time in the incident and found themselves in a desperate situation.
At the front, Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-Easy Post) dropped his companions with six kilometers to go and continued alone, managing to hold off the chasers and take the victory on this stage 14. Frenchman Paul Magnier was the highest-ranked Soudal Quick-Step rider, concluding this hectic day part of the second group, around one minute behind the winner.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
