When Fausto Masnada pulled over to the side of the barrier just past the finish line of the Madonna di Campiglio, his Detuning Quick-Step team was in the first leg of a three-race series that would conclude the mountain stages of the Giro d'Italia with a sought-after 0-0 He was told he had the draw.

"We're happy," he said. 'We are leading in the race and we have to run to defend ourselves. There is no point in attacking. We have to control it.

Joao Almeida lined up alongside his overall rivals on stage 17, maintaining a 17-second lead over Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) and safely crossing the finish line with a few more kilometers and fewer passes from the countdown to Milan. His ride to Madonna di Campiglio, defending a slight advantage on the way, would have been worthy of praise for fellow countryman José Mourinho.

Starting the day with long climbs on Forcella Valbona and Monte Bondone, Dečuninck-Quickstep led the Gruppo, and although they lost numbers on the final climb, Masnada supported Almeida's defense in the last few kilometers, and the approach to the finish The team set the tempo in the

Meanwhile, Almeida himself marked Kelderman well, and with 6km to go, the Dutchman and his Sunweb teammate Jai Hindley (3rd overall/2:58) launched a brief two-pronged attack. Almeida spoke to Kelderman as the pink jersey group briefly crossed the road.

"After the attack, the group was high paced and small. After the attack, the pace was high and the group was getting smaller," Almeida said. After that, Fausto set the tempo, but I just wanted to say that I had a good pace.

"It was hard today, but the last climb was not so hard. My goal was to keep the jersey, to keep the gap. I knew Kelderman was going to attack and he did, but I felt good."

Since winning the maglia rosa on Mount Etna on stage 3, Almeida has repeatedly denied the possibility of holding onto the jersey until Milan. However, on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that stage 20 would not cross into France due to a coronavirus outbreak, and Collet-Delaniello and Col d'Isole were eliminated from the route at once.

Instead, they will tackle the three shallow climbs of the Sestriere. Race director Mauro Veni named the young Portuguese as the favorite to win the overall. Veni was impressed, saying, "Sestriere will be difficult, but looking at the way this boy is riding, it will be hard for him to make up time there."

But first, Almeida will face the toughest stage of this Giro, or rather of any Grand Tour this season. The fearsome Stelvio is the centerpiece of Thursday's Tappone, but the road to the summit finish at Laghi di Cancano also includes Campo Carlo Magno and, for the first time in the Giro, Passo Castrine.

The terrain favors attackers, and not just the Sunweb duo of Kelderman and Hindley. Athletes such as Tao Geoghegan Hart (4th in 2:59), Vincenzo Nibali (7th in 3:31), and Jakob Fuglsang (12th in 5:09) know that this is effectively their last chance to win. The strategy is to control the best riders," Davide Bramati, director of the Dečuninck-Quick Step, told RAI. Temperatures at the summit of Stelvio were in single digits, and the icy descent would further discourage the riders before the tough final climb to Laghi di Cancano. Ultimately, Almeida may or may not have the strength to withstand the inevitable onslaught. That is the terrible beauty of the third week of the Giro.

"I actually like the uphill. I like the climb, even though sometimes I get dropped there," Almeida said of Stelvio. I think it's a great climb. In the end, I hope the stronger rider wins."