Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team) rides alone ot the finish of stage 19 of the 2016 Giro d'Italia
Esteban Chaves celebrates in pink on the stage 19 podium
Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) reacts following the Giro's stage 19, in which he crashed in the Colle dell'Agnello downhill(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
I've won by rage today. It hasn't been easy to handle everything that has happened over the past few days. I dedicate this victory to Rosario [a young pupil of his who accidentally died two weeks ago]. I'm very happy. It's been a terribly hard stage. I want to keep my feet on the ground. There's another hard stage to contest tomorrow.
It was an amazing day of the race for me. Also, more important I take the maglia rosa. I'm really happy today - the team worked unbelievable. All the guys attacking the dell'Angelo, and Ruben waited for me, and pushed like a real machine. In the final I tried to follow Nibali but he was stronger today - I take the maglia in the final and we will try to defend tomorrow.
Their team showed today they would fight for the maglia rosa, but unfortunately he crashed. Sorry, mate. I was behind Nibali and he descends very fast.
It's been difficult. I'm happy to have the Maglia Rosa and be so close to winning the Giro but there's another hard stage tomorrow. I'm sorry for Steven Kruijswijk. He made a small mistake in the downhill but he defended himself very courageously. I've tried to stay with Nibali but he was too strong for me today.
Alexnder Vinokourov (Astana general manager)
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
I said the Giro finishes in Turin so congratulation to Vincenzo; it was brilliant today. He’s a real champion and congratulations to the team because they worked hard. Without them it’s very hard to win the Giro. Vincenzo, thanks to a great team effort, has found the legs, and the Giro is still not finished.
This victory is extra motivation for the team. Everything is not over and tomorrow we will try again. Chaves was in difficulty towards the en, so you never know. The Giro is still not finished.
Matt White - (Orica-Greenedge director)
We didn’t know who was going to attack on the biggest climb, the Cima Coppi, but we always had the plan to get one of our riders into the breakaway, and it was a very successful move with Ruben Plaza doing some incredible work today.
Everybody is human, accidents happen, and people have good days and bad days. We’ve got one day to go and we’ve got one man to mark and that is Vincenzo Nibali.
[Chaves] gave everything he could on the climb. Nibali played some games at the bottom of the climb but we knew that he would do that. He’s in good shape and he won’t be going anywhere without us tomorrow.
Tomorrow is one of the hardest ways to finish off any Grand Tour, and I’m confident that Chaves is up to the challenge.
[Ilnur Zakarin] had a big fall - 20 or 30 metres he flew. The doctors didn’t want to move him at the beginning but he’s conscious and he’s talking and we think that it’s just a collarbone.
Of course, the health is more important. I’m really sorry for him, though, because the race was getting interesting and he was feeling good and he was in the main group.
