Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia!
Here's a look at the profile of today's stage, which features ascents of the infamous Monte Grappa and the Passo Dori before the finish in Asiago.
And here's the stage 15 map, as the riders make their way across Northeast Italy.
Here's a look back at the stage 14 results.
15 minutes until the riders roll out in Fiume Veneto to start today's 3.9km neutral zone.
It was all change in the GC yesterday, as the late crash caused significant time gaps between many of the favourites and consequently changes in the order of the top ten. There’s likely to be yet more today as the riders take on the Alps for the first time.
In the aftermath of yesterday’s crash, it’s been announced today that Giulio Ciccone will not be continuing the Giro. The Italian was taken to hospital after going down yesterday, and it’s been decided that he will abandon the race.
Despite his strong position, Del Toro is still being coy about his chances. "In my mind, or my body, things are the same,” he said after his time gains yesterday, “I just want to be up there."
The riders are off, rolling out from the unofficial start.
After yesterday's rain, the weather is drier and skies bluer today.
Although we reach the mountains later in the stage, the first 100km today are flat. That will give some non-climbers the chance to get into the day’s break, and a head-start ahead of the climbing.
Del Toro is at the team car, as we wait for the flag. This is a big day for him, as he'll start to learn how well he can climb this deep into a race.
OFFICIAL START
Wout van Aert is interested. He's among the first riders to try and get up the road.
Patrick Konrad is the first rider to get a bit of a gap. With Ciccone out of the race and his GC bid over, Konrad and the rest of the Lidl-Trek team are freed up to exclusively chase stages.
Gijs Van Hoecke has joined Konrad.
That pair has been brought back.
Van Aert has gone again, and this time got a small gap, along with an Alpecin rider.
Fabio Van den Bossche is the Alpecin rider, and he and Van Aert have been joined by Vacek and Tarling.
A Bahrain and Soudal rider have bridged up to this leading quartet.
They've all been brought back.
Egan Bernal is right at the back of the peloton. That's not an ideal place for a rider 9th on GC to be. Is he feeling OK?
210KM TO GO
Taco van der Hoorn is leading this one, trying to propel his teammate Louis Menitjes.
Michael Hepburn is the latest rider to have a small gap, albeit only of about two seconds.
He's brought back, by a fierce pace set by an Astana rider leading the peloton.
Edward Planckaert has attacked and has a gap.
Georg Steinhauser and Wout Poels have joined Planckaert.
As have Quintin Hermans, and Mads Pedersen in the maglia ciclamino.
More riders join them, before the peloton catches them.
Pedersen keeps trying, and has Soudal's sprinter Paul Magnier with him.
They too have been brought back. This could go on for a while longer yet.
200KM TO GO
Still multiple attacks are being made, but it's been a while since anyone opened up any delight between themselves and the peloton.
Kasper Asgreen is at the back of the peloton, talking to his team car. He must be exhausted after his stage-winning efforts yesterday.
Andrea Pietrobon is the first rider in a while to get a small gap, but he too has been brought back.
An intermediate sprint is coming up in 2km, and thus Lidl-Trek have formed a train at the front of the peloton for Pedersen.
190KM TO GO
Jensen Plowright challenges Pedersen for the sprint, and appears to pip him at the line.
Actually, Pedersen just about came around Plowright to take the maximum points.
The sprint out the way, the attacks recommence.
M. Bais, Milesi and three other riders have a gap.
At the intermediate sprint, Kooij and Van Uden also went for some points, placing third and fourth, having declined many of the points on offer in previous stages. Here are the updated rankings in the points classification:
This five-man group has the biggest gap any has had all day. They are:
Now there are just four - Covili has been dropped.
More riders are attacking out of the peloton to try and bridge the 15 second gap to the leaders, but none are succeeding.
180KM TO GO
MURO DI CA’ DEL POGGIO
Cattaneo and Stock have used this climb to join up to the leaders.
Conci has also joined them, and is leading as the near the summit.
Conci takes the 3 KOM points at the top, on marking duties for his Astana teammate Fortunato.
The climb has caused splits in the peloton.
It has also seen the breakaway been caught.
The second group on the road has caught the first group on the road. There are still some straggling groups, but no GC riders appear to have been caught out.
170KM TO GO
One GC man is still missing from the peloton - Antonio Tiberi. The Italian was the first man to fall in the crash yesterday, and it appears is still hurting from it.
The Tiberi group is 50 seconds adrift from the main peloton.
Louis Meintjes and Francesco Busatto are among the latest to attack, but can’t establish a gap.
Both the leading peloton and the Tiberi chase group are large in size, with about the same number of riders in them.
Four riders have a small gap - Ulissi, Bilbao, Rafferty and another.
160KM TO GO
The Tiberi group has lost a bit more time, slipping down to 1:15.
It’s all got quite messy out there. A large group has got a small gap over the rest of the front peloton.
The front peloton has come back together again, but it's still hectic racing.
The Tiberi group is now 1:30 behind. Bahrain are doing most of the pace-setting, with some help from Polti.
Ayuso is at the team car. His UAE team are a little short in the front peloton, with McNulty and others in the Tiberi group.
150KM TO GO
The pink jersey and the other GC favourites all seem to be in the same group, with other groups of breakaway hopefuls ahead of them.
About 30 riders have joined together to form a lead group, with the pink jersey group 50 seconds behind.
Four riders have jumped out of the lead group.
The pink jersey group has sat up. They’ve given over a minute to the lead group.
As a result, the Tiberi group is closing down on the pink jersey group They have them within 45 seconds.
There are about 35 riders together in the front group.
To name a few of the standout names in this massive breakaway group: Bilbao, Martínez, Frigo Cattaneo, Scaroni, Fortunato, Vacek, Tarling.
The Tiberi group is back with the first peloton. Crisis over - for now. If the Italian was hurting on that small first climb, the mountains coming up are likely to be too much for him to hang on.
140KM TO GO
Some other riders confirmed as being in the break: Gaudu, Zanna, Plapp, Konrad, Pellizzari.
The highest ranked rider on GC in the break is Einer Rubio. The Movistar rider (who finished seventh overall last year) has done well to slip into this group unnoticed, as he’s a threat for the top ten, currently ranking 14th overall at just 4:26.
The breakaway group is very big for now, but is sure to break up once they start climbing Monte Grappa, in about 20km.
Four riders have slipped off the front of the breakaway group - Tarling, Formolo, Cepeda and Ulissi.
They’re not pressing on, however, the Movistar duo aware that their leader Rubio is still in the main breakaway behind.
Vacek and De Pretto have joined those four leaders.
More riders are bridging up to this lead group of 6, who are now pressing on.
130KM TO GO
Frigo, Houle, Konrad, Plapp and Zanna are the riders who have joined the 6.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG are leading the peloton behind. They’re 3:15 behind the leaders.
The 11 riders who had gone clear from the rest of the break have been brought back.
They recently went through an intermediate sprint, where Frigo was first over the line ahead of De Pretto, Ulissi and Formolo.
The gap between the break and peloton has grown to 3:30, which means Rubio is now up to 2nd on the virtual GC.
120KM TO GO
Vacek, De Pretto and Conci have increased their lead to 30 seconds.
We're approaching the foot of Monte Grappa, where the race is likely to explode into life again.
MONTE GRAPPA
Gaudu is being dropped from the breakaway already. Having gotten into the break this might have been the day he returned to form, but this suggests he’s still hurting from his early-race crash.
Vacek De Pretto and Conci still have a lead of 30 seconds on the rest of the break, which is being led by Movistar.
The peloton is starting to be thinned out. Mads Pedersen is among them.
Conci has gone clear from De Pretto and Vacek.
The Movistar-led breakaway group have caught De Pretto and Vacek, but Conci is still ahead by 25 seconds.
110KM TO GO
After his earlier efforts, Vacek has been dropped from the breakaway group, and now Tarling is struggling to hang on.
There are still about 30 riders left in the break, which is still being led by Movistar.
Conci has been brought back by the main breakaway group.
The break are enjoying some brief respite on a plateau, but they still have another 15km left until they reach the top of Monte Grappa.
The gradient tilts up again, and there’s a change at the front as Ulissi takes over.
Movistar have taken over from Ulissi again in the lead group.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG are leading the peloton but not pressing on. No sign yet of Tiberi or anyone else being in trouble.
100KM TO GO
Ulissi is sharing turns with Movistar in the breakaway group. His Astana teammate Fortunato is on his wheel, anticipating the KOM points on offer at the top.
Steinhauser attacks from the breakaway.
Ayuso has had a problem. He touched somone's wheels, and, though didn't come off the bike, has been held up.
Ayuso's changed his bike and is chasing back up to the peloton.
Back up ahead, Fortunato has joined Steinhauser.
Zana, Martínez and Frigo have joined Steinhauser and Fortunato.
The cream seems to be rising to the top on the climb. These five riders are among the best in the break, on paper.
Rubio has responded to it, ditching his Movistar teammates to ride across himself.
Arrieta and Prodhomme are also with Rubio.
A change in the peloton as Ineos Grenadiers take over and up the pace.
They've made their move just as Ayuso returns to the peloton, but he's still at the back.
Up ahead, the break is reassembling as more riders join up to those who got away.
Ineos have 3 riders at the front, with Bernal behind them. The Colombian has some time to make up on GC, having crashed in the time trial and been caught out in the split yesterday.
Tarling is setting the pace for Ineos, having been dropped from the breakaway group.
Riders are being dropped out of the peloton, including Chris Harper, who was 19th on GC.
Ayuso has made his way back to the front of the peloton, surrounded by 6 of his teammates, including Del Toro.
Tarling is done, and Castroviejo takes over.
Castroviejo is done already, and Lucas Hamilton takes over - and ups the pace considerably.
BERNAL ATTACKS
This is a huge move from Bernal, no less than 92km from the finish.
Richard Carapaz has joined them.
Del Toro isn't taking turn, Richard Carapaz is.
And now Arensman joins them. That's 3 riders who are willing to ride.
UAE are leading the group behind, despite having Del Toro in the group ahead. This is where things get complicated for the team - do they back Ayuso, or Del Toro?
Gee joins Bernal, Del Toro, Arensman and Carapaz.
These five riders are 20 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Meanwhile the break is 500 metres from the top of the climb. Getting the KOM points atthe top might be all they can hope for, now that the GC race has kicked off already.
Fortunato attacks from the break.
Fortunato takes the maximum points.
90KM TO GO
The peloton reach the top of the climb, 20 seconds behind the pink jersey group.
In the pink jersey group: Del Toro, Carapaz, Bernal, Arensman, Gee. In the peloton: S.Yates, Ayuso, Roglič, Tiberi.
Frigo has taken off out the front of the breakaway, and is leading the race on his own.
Bernal and Arensman are goading Del Toro to work with the group, but he's refusing - presumably because of team orders.
Frigo has opened up a big lead here. He's 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the break.
Still it's UAE chasing at the front of the peloton. They're 18 seconds behind.
The peloton is coming back to the pink jersey group. They're just 10 seconds behind.
80KM TO GO
The pink jersey group has joined up to the original breakaway, which still contains over 20 riders.
Still UAE lead the chase in the peloton. It's understandable they see Carapaz, Bernal etc as a threat to Ayuso, but this is hardly a show of confidence in Del Toro's ability to stay in the pink jersey come the final week.
The peloton still have 12 seconds to make up on the pink jersey group.
70KM TO GO
The peloton has now joined the pink jersey group.
The bold Bernal attack has come to nothing, but it was a thrilling attempt so far from the finish. Will they try somethine again on the final climb, coming up after this descent an a valley road?
The results at the top of Monte Grappa, where Fortunato's Astana teammates mopped up most of the rest behind him:
Here are the updated KOM standings. Fortunato has a huge lead now:
Now they've reached the bottom of the descent of the Grappa, riders are trying to jump out of the peloton and form a new breakaway group.
Bilbao and Lemmen have gone clear.
Bilbao is in a group also containing Prodhomme and Fiorelli, trying to join Frigo, who still leads the race on his own. Lemmen is in a group behind, with Stork.
60KM TO GO
Bardet is also with Leemen and Stork, as they try to join the Bilbao group.
Also in the Bilbao group: Verona, Prodhomme, Scaroni, Zana, Fiorelli and Garofoli.
Bardet, Leemen and Stork have caught up to the Bilbao group, who have now caught Frigo. We therefore have a new lead group of 11 riders.
This 11-man lead group is 1:37 ahead of the peloton, as they approach the start of the final climb of the day.
50KM TO GO
This final climb isn’t anywhere near as big as Monte Grappa, but it’s still a tough one. It climbs at 5.3% for 16.6km.
The break's leading is getting bigger and bigger. It's now up to 3:15.
KOM - DORI
On paper, you'd fancy the likes of Bilbao, Bardet, Frigo and Zana to be the best climbers in this break.
Carlos Verona has attacked already out of the break.
Garofoli is chasing after Verona.
As the peloton start the climb, Ineos have taken over again. This would suggest that they're planning on attacking this climb, just as they did Monte Grappa.
Garofoli has joined Verona, after a tough chase.
Garofoli didn't actually quite manage to latch onto Verona's wheel, and he's falling further adrift now.
The rest of the break are 35 seconds behind Verona.
Hamilton leads the peloton, and has upped the pace.
40KM TO GO
Hamilton increases the pace some more. This does feel like the set-up for another attack.
Behind Hamilton is Castroviejo, and behind him are Bernal and Arensman, poised.
Ineos haven’t ignited things yet. That’s reflected by the gap between the peloton and Verona, which has grown to 4 minutes.
Zana has attacked out of the chasing group. They've dropped to 1 minute behind Verona, so needed to do something.
There looks to be about 50 riders still in the peloton.
Zana has a gap and is closing down on Verona. He's 38 seconds behind.
While his Lidl-Trek team already have five stage wins at this Giro alone, Verona has never won at Grand Tour level. This would be the biggest win of his career.
Hamilton is done, and now Castroviejo takes over at the front of the peloton.
Verona comes through the Red Bull Kilometre, leading the race alone. He's 35 seconds ahead of Garofoli, with Zana just a few seconds behind him.
The chase among the rest of the breakaway group does not look organised.
BERNAL ATTACK
Del Toro has marked him and is on his wheel.
Bernal knocks it off, and Arensman counter-attacks.
He's been brought back by the peloton, being led by UAE.
None of those moves were explosive in the manner the attacks on Monte Grappa were.
UAE have three men at the front of the peloton, in addition to leaders Del Toro and Ayuso. They've taken over control of the peloton after Ineos' attacks.
Strangely, Bernal’s move looked more like a sprint for the Red Bull Kilometre than a committed attack - surely he knew the bonus seconds had all already been snapped up by the breakaway riders out in front?
EF take over at the front from UAE. Is Carapaz planning something?
30KM TO GO
Cepeda and Steinhauser are the 2 EF riders leading the peloton, and have upped the pace.
CARAPAZ ATTACK
Del Toro is on his wheel, and Ayuso, Tiberi, Bernal are all there also.
Gee and Simon Yates come across, but Roglič is being distenced.
Bernal takes over at the front.
Carapaz attacks.
Del Toro, Bernal, Tiberi are with him, and joined by Ayuso, Gee and a Movistar rider.
Simon Yates also bridges up, but Roglič is losing more ground.
Roglič is over 30 seconds adrift.
Storer, Poole, Rubio and Caruso are also in the pink jersey group.
Up ahead, Verona reaches the top of the climb, now just 12 seconds ahead of Zana and Garofoli.
Gee attacks from the pink jersey group.
Tiberi follows Gee.
Del Toro shuts down both of those riders, with apparent ease. He drags the rest with him.
Simon Yates attacks, and again Del Toro follows his wheel.
Carapaz and Gee are also with them.
Those four are joined by the rest of the group of favourites, just as they ride over the top.
They're 2 minutes behind Verona - the break still looks good for the stage.
Finally Roglič reaches the top a whole minute behind the pink jersey group. He faces a big chase on the final 25km plateau to the finish to save his Giro.
Roglič is the only man in the GC top ten missing from the pink jersey group.
Roglič has help with him in the form of teammate Dani Martínez, and he’s doing a good job so far, reducing his deficit back to under a minute.
40 seconds now between Roglič and the pink jersey group, which is being led by UAE's Majka, McNulty and Adam Yates.
There are about 20 riders in the pink jersey group.
20KM TO GO
Roglič is losing ground again, his defecit grown to 55 seconds.
Roglič is visibly struggling and going backwards now. His group is 1:15 behind the pink jersey group.
15KM TO GO
It’s not just UAE who are working in the pink jersey group, but also the likes of Movistar(Quintana), Bahrain-Victorious (Bilbao) and Visma-Lease a Bike (Leeman). They’re all sensing an opportunity to dump Roglič out of contention.
Roglič is 1:25 down now. That sees him slip to 10th on the virtual GC.
10KM TO GO
There's a change in the chase group behind him, as Prodhomme, Bardet, Stork and Scaroni catch up to Garofoli and Zana.
Even with this increased strength in numbers, it seems unlikely they’ll be able to bridge the gap to Verona, who’s now a minute ahead.
Maybe this isn’t over yet? Verona’s lead has dropped to 45 seconds.
As for Roglič, he’s now 1:30 behind the pink jersey group.
5KM TO GO
Even the pink jersey group is coming back into play for the stage. They're just 15 seconds behind the chase group, and 55 seconds behind Verona.
With 3km to go, Verona is 37 seconds ahead. He should still be OK.
It's all downhill now for Verona. He's just gone under the 2km to go banner, still leading by 35 seconds.
1KM TO GO
VERONA WINS
Stork attacked out of the chase group in the final kilometre to take second, while Scaroni sprints from the group for third.
The pink jersey group arrive a few seconds after. Now we wait for Roglič.
Here he comes...
Roglič arrives at the finish about 1:30 after the pink jersey group.
This is Verona’s first stage win at Grand Tour level, having previously come so close with a second place finish at the 2021 Vuelta and two third-place finishes at the 2022 and 2020 Tour de France.
In fact, this is only the second win in Verona’s whole career, following his triumph at the 2020 Critérium du Dauphiné.
For all of the attacks and GC drama throughout the stage, ultimately all the main favourites finished in the same group together - all of them, that is, apart from Primož Roglič. He falls from 5th overall to 10th, now 3:53 down on Del Toro.
Remarkably, Verona’s win means Lidl-Trek now have 6 stage wins at this Giro. Yesterday was a rare low for the team as their GC leader Ciccone dropped out of the race, but they’ll be drinking champagne with dinner yet again this evening.
Thanks for joining us today! The riders can enjoy a well-earned rest day following what’s been a dramatic, hard-fought second week, before returning to racing on Tuesday for what will be the biggest day in the mountains so far. The stage is set - the endgame of the GC is set to get underway.
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