After all, Stelvio being Stelvio, a different Giro d'Italia unfolded on the hairpin steps to the summit. Eleven kilometers from the summit, with still nearly half of the mountain to climb, it became clear that Tappone was a step too far for Joan Almeida (Deceuninck-Quick Step).

The Portuguese rider has led the race since Mt. Etna and resolutely defended the Maglia Rosa in Piacavallo last weekend. His solo ride, as well as his confident ride in Wednesday's Madonna di Campiglio, even boosted Almeida's chances of winning his first Giro attempt.

But on stage 18, the rarefied atmosphere of the Stelvio made for a dispassionate referee. Like many others, Almeida could not keep up with the hellish tempo of Ineos Grenadiers and Team Sunweb, and arrived at the finish line, Laghi di Cancano, almost five minutes behind.

Almeida was dropped from the group of favorites midway up the climb, but as in Piacavallo, he refused to resign himself to fate and struggled to catch up with the dwindling group of favorites.

If he wanted to win Kelderman in Milan, he would have to join Kelderman here. But Stelvio stalked the tired man, and Almeida was decisively out of striking distance shortly thereafter. Within a few hundred meters, the virtual pink jersey passed to Kelderman, who started 17 seconds behind.

"The feeling wasn't so bad. But my opponent was very strong. I'm happy with my performance. You can't play super every day and today they were really strong."

Almeida had trained in Stelvio before the Giro and professed to love the climb. On Thursday afternoon, his parents Dario and Patricia, along with two of his early coaches, arrived at the race site and wrote his name in giant letters on the road.

By the time Almeida reached that point, he was nearly four minutes behind the lead trio of Jai Hindley (Sunweb), Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers).

"I love that climb. It's a beautiful climb and super hard," Almeida said as they stopped in the mixed zone at the top of Laghi di Cancano. But I was so happy to see my family at the top and the other Portuguese athletes," Almeida said as he stopped in the mixed zone at the top of Laghi di Cancano. I was moved to tears and I'm very grateful to them."

The history of the Giro d'Italia is full of overall leaders, both recent and distant, who crumbled in the infamous final week of the race, overcome by fatigue, altitude, and the weight of the maglia rosa. It would be unfair to include Almeida in that number. It would be unfair to count Almeida among them; at the end of the day, he and Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) climbed the Laghi di Cancano, finishing in seventh place, 4:51 behind Hindley.

"I was at my limit and I knew there was no way I could go to the top of Stelvio in that rhythm," Almeida said. After that I tried to keep my rhythm so I wouldn't lose too much time. In the end, I think it was a positive stage. They were very strong. I'm not at their level."

No matter where Almeida finishes in this Giro - it may be in the top five overall - he will arrive in Milan with increased confidence and recognition. 22-year-old Almeida quickly sorted through his disappointment Thursday afternoon atop the Laghi di Cancano, accepting Stelvio's words. He quickly sorted through them.

"I am proud of what I did. I am happy," Almeida said. "Meanwhile, we lost the pink jerseys. But the enemy was stronger and there was nothing we could do about it."