Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) claimed his fourth stage victory in the 2020 Giro d’Italia in a bunch sprint in Rimini, beating Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) and Álvaro Hodeg (Deceuninck-Quick Step). Only one Frenchman has reached that number in a single Giro before; the legendary Bernard Hinault in 1982. João Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick Step) retained the Maglia Rosa for the ninth consecutive day.
The stage winner Arnaud Démare said: “It was the first perfect sprint of this Giro for me, even though it’s the fourth win and we weren’t in the right position at the entrance of the finishing town. But the sport directors and coaches of the team had prepared the finale very well so we knew where we’d go. When I launched my sprint, it was at very high speed again. Since I got my second stage win, everything is just a bonus, and the pleasure we take from winning together as a team is extraordinary.”
The Maglia Rosa João Almeida said: “Tomorrow, a demanding stage awaits us. I don’t think I will try to attack but rather I will try to defend myself from the other GC riders who will surely try to do something. Of course I hope to keep the Maglia Rosa. We have two other riders in good position, Fausto Masnada and James Knox. Fausto could try to get into an escape, at which point it would become even more dangerous.”
2020 Giro d’Italia Stage 11 Results:
- Arnaud Démare (Groupama – FDJ) – 182km in 4h03’52”, average speed 44.779km/h
- Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) s.t.
- Álvaro Hodeg (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 11:
- João Almeida (Deceuninck – Quick-Step)
- Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) at 34”
- Pello Bilbao (Bahrain – McLaren) at 43”
Tomorrow’s Stage:
Stage 12 – CESENATICO-CESENATICO – 204km
The stage follows the same route as the Gran Fondo Nove Colli. With the exception of the first and of the last 25km, the remaining 150km do not even feature a single flat meter to let the bunch catch their breath. The route is an endless succession of climbs and descents, with double-digit gradients at points, often on narrow and worn-out roads.
Final KMs
From 5 to 3km remaining to the finish, the road is relatively wide and mainly straight, with several roundabouts. With 2.5km to go, the route bends as it descends from the railway flyover, and then passes underneath, onto a narrow roundabout. With 1.4km remaining, one last left-hand bend leads into the home straight (featuring two speed bumps), on 7.5m wide tarmac.
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