Gallery: Snapshots from the Giro’s most brutal finish
The climb from Sutrio to Monte Zoncolan rises at around 8.5% for more than 14 km. That’s plenty steep enough as an average gradient, but that stat doesn’t really do justice to the last few kilometres of the climb. This 3 km stretch at 13%, with one brutal ramp of roughly 27%, made stage 14’s visit to Monte Zoncolan the toughest finish of this year’s Giro.
On the brutal, snow-lined ascent, the breakaway again had its way. The stage winner: 25-year-old Italian Lorenzo Fortunato, claiming both the first victory of his professional career, and the first WorldTour victory for Alberto Contador’s Eolo-Kometa squad.
Photos from stage 14 are now in, courtesy of Kristof Ramon and Jered and Ashley Gruber, and as you’ll see below, it was a tough old day for the riders.
Eventual stage winner Lorenzo Fortunato on his way to a breakthrough victory. 
Jan Tratnik had attacked from the break earlier, but when Fortunato caught and passed him, Tratnik couldn’t get back on terms. 
Alessandro Covi on his way to third place, a few days after taking second on the ‘Strade Bianche’ stage. 
Dani Martinez set Egan Bernal up for a late attack. 
Simon Yates clawed back more time. 
Incredibly, this spectator’s choice of clothing wasn’t the most questionable decision made on the mountain on Saturday. 
The riders had to descend the way they came in order to get to their team buses. 
Some riders used whistles to warn spectators (and other riders) of their approach. 
After finishing seventh from the breakaway, George Bennett descended a few kilometres, then rode the steepest section of the climb again, with teammate Edoardo Affini (who’d ridden for Bennett in the breakaway).
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