Transition to the Alps: Silver lining for IAM...Mugging by Etixx

Two transitional stages as they are better known did little to affect the general classification except to stir them up with every turn of the pedals taking them closer to the Alps and the final two big mountain stages of this Giro that will once and for all confirm whether Steven Kruijswijk can indeed become and Grand Tour winner.

Both stages though were quite exciting in their own right. Stage 17 was a sprinters day and as such the early part of the day held nothing to write about except for the break that went clear and which was eventually swept up, albeit a lot closer to the line than the chasing pack might have hoped. And yet, a sprinter didn't win. Perhaps the difficulty with which the early escape was brought back served to remind us that not many pure sprinters were left and of those that where, they were riding for teams full of men with tired legs. The upshot to that was Filippo Pozzato darting out of the pack in a bid for glory with a kilometre to go only for Roger Kluge to respond by jumping across and then past the veteran Italian to hold off the sprinters by a handful of lengths for the win.

You wait years for someone to try one of them final flying-kilo efforts to upset the sprinters only for two to come along at once.

And how fitting for Kluge and his IAM cycling team. Just twenty-four hours earlier the team announced that they were disbanding at the end of the season and yet here they were reacting to the news by winning their first ever Grand Tour stage. I suppose it was seen by Kluge as an incentive to put himself into the shop window. In the world of cycling cynicism on social media, it's a wonder more people didn't strap on their tinfoil hats for this one!

A further twenty-four hours on and it was back to reality as one of the sports power house teams got back to winning ways for the first time since stage 8 when Etixx Quick-Step seen Matteo Trentin win in superb style ahead of Moreno Moser and team-mate Gianulca Brambilla (who had taken that stage 8 victory).

If stage 17 was a day made for the sprinters then stage 18 was made for the escape artists. A huge group went away and were allowed to go. A stiff climb within the final 20km of the finish was enough to deter the sprinters teams and with the Alps a day away, the general classification contenders held on interest in stopping the domestiques from having their day in the sun. That climb of the Pinerolo sorted the wheat from the chaff and appeared to leave us with Moser and Brambilla. The former looking to make it a 20th Giro stage win for the family name (after his uncle Francesco's 19 Giro stage wins), the later looking to win his second stage of this years race.

They survived over a short but very steep and narrow cobbled climb in the finishing city of Pinerolo, but with Moser leading out the sprint and slowing his effort in anticipation of Brambilla opening it up, the Etixx rider glanced over his shoulder and noticed his team-mate Matteo Trentin bearing down on them. Perhaps Brambilla didn't fancy his chances in the sprint and so he hung tight with Moser seemingly unaware of the approaching danger. Then suddenly, before Moser could get out of the saddle to react, Trentin blew past and away for the stage win. Moser did indeed win the sprint against Brambilla, but it was only for second. Sacha Modolo rolled home 20sec later to make it an all-Italian top four as they took 7 of the first 11 places.

All in all thus far it's been a good Giro for the home nation. Five stage wins from 18, two men in the top 10 (five in the top 20, ahead of Colombian with four), the leader of the points competition (Giacomo Nizzolo, and indeed a sweep of the top five) and the leader of the mountains classification (Damiano Cunego). You get the feeling come Le Tour in July that the French would be quite delighted with that kind of return from their own race.

No major change in the GC...roll on the Alps...