Cycling-Campenaerts wins Giro stage 15, Bernal retains overall lead

[May 24, 2021]    GORIZIA, Italy (Reuters) - Belgian Victor Campenaerts won the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia at the end of a breakaway, a 147-km bumpy ride from Grado as Colombian Egan Bernal retained the overall leader's Maglia Rosa on Sunday.

Qhubeka Assos rider Victor Campenaerts of Belgium celebrates winning stage 15 ahead of Alpecin-Fenix rider Oscar Riesebeek of Netherlands REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

Campenaerts outsprinted breakaway companion Oscar Riesebeek of the Netherlands after the duo had pulled clear late in the stage, which saw Bernal keep the lead with a 93-second advantage over Briton Simon Yates.

After a body-punishing 14th stage to the Monte Zoncolan, the peloton let the 15-man breakaway loose on what appeared to be a recovery ride for most of the overall contenders after a crash-hit start.

Emanuel Buchmann's hopes ended in a mass pile-up that forced organisers to neutralise the race for 15 minutes inside the opening three kilometres.

German Buchmann, who was sixth overall, abandoned alongside Dutchman Jos van Emden and Erythrea's Natnael Berhane, with Portugal's Ruben Guerreiro withdrawing later after being unable to cope with the pace of the peloton.

Monday's 16th stage is a 212-km mountain trek from Sacile to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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