Giro d'Italia: Alberto Dainese sprints to victory on stage 17 as Geraint Thomas retains overall lead

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Alberto Dainese beats Jonathan Milan and Michael Matthews successful a photograph decorativeness connected signifier 17

Italy's Alberto Dainese sprinted to triumph connected signifier 17 astatine the Giro d'Italia arsenic Britain's Geraint Thomas retained the wide contention lead.

Team DSM rider Dainese edged compatriot Jonathan Milan and Australian Michael Matthews successful a photograph decorativeness successful Caorle.

Ineos Grenadiers' Thomas finished safely successful the peloton to support the pinkish jersey he reclaimed connected Tuesday.

He remains 18 seconds up of signifier 16 victor Joao Almeida and 29 seconds wide of Jumbo Visma's Primoz Roglic.

The wide classification conflict takes centre signifier erstwhile again from Thursday, erstwhile Thomas volition crook 37, with 2 challenging days successful the mountains preceding Saturday's idiosyncratic clip proceedings connected the penultimate stage.

The 161km 18th signifier from Oderzo to Val Di Zoldo includes 3,700m of elevation, with the 2 categorised climbs wrong the last 15km featuring a steepest gradient of astir 20% - earlier 8 consecutive switchbacks pb into the location straight.

The wide contention contenders were capable to conserve vigor successful Wednesday's level 195km way from Pergine Valsugana, which saw Dainese clip his last propulsion to perfection - though helium had a tense hold for his marginal triumph to confirmed.

The Italian was the precise past rider to decorativeness signifier 15 arsenic helium struggled with unwellness past week - with 48 riders abandoning the contention pursuing 2 weeks marred by appalling weather.

"Today we rode an insane final," Dainese said. "The past metres I was digging truthful deep, I was truly connected the bounds and I saw Jonathan Milan coming."

He added: "I've been rather sick with tummy issues and my breathing the past fewer days. Today was the archetypal time I was feeling OK, truthful to triumph similar this aft specified a conflict is insane and I'm ace happy."

Race person Thomas said: "The time was thing similar what we had experienced before. It was bully and lukewarm astatine the end, which is good. It was cleanable to support our spot up earlier the 3 days up of us."