Czech rider Jan Hirt took the 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday to claim his first ever Grand Tour win, while Richard Carapaz held on to his slender overall lead after a brutal mountain stage.
The 31-year-old Intermarche rider attacked two kilometres before the summit of the final of three huge climbs on the 202km run from Salo to Aprica and held off chaser Thymen Arensman for the win.
Hirt’s stage win was by far the biggest of his career and added to his overall victory at the Tour of Oman this year.