Quintana cautious, Thomas angry, mixed emotions for Dumoulin
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Nairo Quintana (Movistar) puts in his fatal attack
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) attacks Quintana
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) leads Tom Dumoulin to the line
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) wins stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia
Jan Polanc (Team UAE Emirates)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nairo Quintana won stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia with a dominant display on the Blockhaus summit finish, but that only tells half the story as a motorbike caused a crash before the climb had even begun, wiping out the hopes of Team Sky's Geraint Thomas and Mikel Landa, along with Adam Yates. Here's all the instant reaction from a crazy day at the Giro.
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) - stage winner and race leader
"We knew that this stage could go well. We worked all day, we were up for it, and we made a good selection. Then I gave it everything. We don't know if it's enough or not enough. I feel good. There'a lot of the Giro left. We will see as the days pass if it's enough or not enough."
Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) - third on stage and overall, lost teammate Kelderman to the crash
"I'm feeling shit because we lost Wilco. Wilco was feeling very good and i was really comfortable with him. Now I cannot be happy today because he would have been be so important in the final week and I'm really disappointed for him. My own performance was good, and I'm happy with that, but losing Wilco is a real shame.
"I don't know what the stupid motorbike was doing there. I'm so disappointed. I could just avoid it, I saw it at the last moment but I was lucky that I was 2cm to the right of Wilco. They say 'it happens' but it shouldn't happen."
Jose Luis Arrieta (Movistar directeur sportif)
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"It was the first really tough stage where you could make differences. The whole team worked really well.
[On the crash] "We were just sticking to the plan we had from the start. We wanted to take it up from far out and we carried on with that. It's really bad luck for them [Sky]."
"It's ridiculous. That shouldn't happen. We were all racing to the bottom of the climb, and next thing I know someone hits a moto and we go down. My shoulder popped out as well. I felt good but then I crashed and that was it – race over.
"As for what his hopes now are for this Giro: I don't know. It's too early to think about that at the moment. Just let it settle down. I'm a bit angry at the minute. We need to sit down and work out what we're going to do."
Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Drapac) - 10th on stage 9, new best young rider
"I had good sensations. But the Giro is still long, no? Two weeks in front, we have a few important stages. The Giro is starting now. We're looking forward. Today was the first really hard final climb. We will see, anything can happen."
Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) - mountains classification leader
"In the beginning of the climb I struggled a little bit, but then I went my tempo. I was able to catch Bob [Jungels] and I went with him. [Keeping the jersey to the end?] It could be one of the goals. But we'll see now - I'll do the time trial in the maglia Azzurri and it will be really nice."
