Hello and welcome along to our live coverage of stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia. Today’s route takes the riders 199km from Valdengo to Bergamo in the foothills of the Alps. After a flat first 150km, the peloton will tackle two back-to-back categorised climbs and then a short and sharp uncategorised climb just before the finish. It should be an exciting finale, with the potential for time gaps – albeit small ones – between the overall contenders.

Giro d'Italia

Stage 15 | Semi mountain | Men | 21.05.2017

Completed

ValdengoBergamo

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ByTom Bennett

Updated 21/05/2017 at 15:08 GMT

26km

So far, so good for race leader Tom Dumoulin:

27km

This is a seriously technical descent, containing no fewer than 19 hairpins. Having crashed on the last descent, this will be a nervous next 10 minutes or so for Nairo Quintana.

28km

Rolland leads the five leaders iver the summit of Selvino, 42 seconds ahead of the peloton. Everyone is now descending.

29km

Here was Quintana's crash:

30km

Quintana crashed when he overshot a right-hand turn on the descent. He's now safely back up at the front, just behind Vincenzo Nibali and Tom Dumoulin.

31km

Janse van Rensburg, Deignan and Molard have now been caught by Sanchez and Rolland, so the lead group is up to five. They lead the peloton by just 46 seconds after ORICA-SCOTT's injection of pace.

33km

Quintana had to stop for a bike change because it seems he crashed on the descent from the first climb. He looks uninjured.

33km

The front three are now only 23 seconds ahead of the chasing quartet, but their lead over the peloton is up to 1'15". Quintana is making his way back up through the peloton. ORICA-SCOTT have now hit the front of the peloton with Carlos Verona.

33km

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) has to stop for a bike change. Terrible timing because the pace is back in the peloton after Quick-Step Floors and Bahrain-Merida moved to the front and upped the pace.

34km

The three groups have just finished the descent down from the summit of Miragolo San Salvatore and are now starting up the second climb of the day, the category-two ascent to Selvino. It's 6.9km long and has a maximum gradient of nine per cent.

39km

Rolland has now caught up with Amezqueta and Barbin, who had been in the breakaway, and that trio has also been joined by the attacking Sanchez. So the situation is:

Deignan / Van Rensburg / Molard - 32" - Rolland / Amezqueta / Barbin / Sanchez - 52" - Peloton.

40km

Janse van Rensburg leads Molard and then Deignan over the summit of Miragolo San Salvatore. Rolland follows 39 seconds later, nine seconds ahead of Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana), who has just attacked out of the peloton. The peloton is now 1'02" down on the breakaway.

41km

Now Julen Amezqueta is dropped out of the breakaway, so the leader group is down to just Janse van Rensburg, Deignan and Molard. They're 46 seconds ahead of Rolland and 57 seconds ahead of the peloton.

42km

Barbin has been dropped out of the breakaway, so the lead group is now down to four with a gap of 55 seconds. Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) has attacked out of the peloton and is between the peloton and the breakaway.

43km

Here's the peloton:

43km

Just a quick reminder of today's profile. The riders are currently tackling the day's first categorised climb.

Image credit: Eurosport

44km

Team Sunweb have eased off the pace on the front of the bunch and have allowed the five leaders to stretch their lead back out to 53 seconds.

44km

There are just five breakaway riders left in the lead of the race: Enrico Barbin, Rudy Molard, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Philip Deignan and Julen Amezqueta. Another four breakaway riders are 32 seconds back, and then peloton is now 49 seconds adrift. Fernando Gaviria had been in the break but has now been dropped and caught by the peloton.

45km

Having just buried himself on the front of the peloton, ORICA-SCOTT's Caleb Ewan has just abandoned the race. That's no surprise given that he's a sprinter and there are no more sprint stages left. Bora-hansgrohe's Rudiger Selig abandoned earlier in the day.

46km

ORICA-SCOTT have run out of men and Team Sunweb have consequently taken back over on the front to the peloton. The gap to the breakaway is now holding at about 45 seconds.

47km

The breakaway has already split in two on the lower slopes of the climb. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) and Philip Deignan (Team Sky) are among the five in the front group.

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