Giro d’Italia: Arnaud Demare claims his fourth victory in sprint finish

France’s Arnaud Demare claimed his fourth win of the 2020 Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish on stage 11.

The Groupama-FDJ rider held off Peter Sagan and Alvaro Jose Hodeg at the end of the 182km ride from Porto Sant’Elpidio to Rimini.

Portugal’s Joao Almeida maintained his lead the overall race, 34 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman.

Tao Geoghegan Hart is the highest-placed British rider in 14th, almost three minutes down.

Demare is the first French rider to win four stages at the same race since Bernard Hinault in 1982.

The 29-year-old, who has won five stages in total at the Giro after winning one in 2019, said: “My three lead-out men delivered me in a perfect position and I felt a lot of strength in my legs to launch my sprint.

“Coming to the Giro, I didn’t think I’d get four stage wins. Hats off to my team-mates.”

While the largely flat stage provided the perfect platform for Demare, the general classification race is likely to become more animated on Thursday.

The 12th stage encompasses five categorised climbs on a 204km course around Cesenatico, the hometown of Italian cycling great Marco Pantani, who died in 2004.

“Tomorrow is a very undulating stage,” Almeida said. “There will be some attacks but we will be prepared.”

Stage 11 result

1. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 4hrs 3mins 52secs

2. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time

3. Alvaro Jose Hodeg (Col/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

4. Simone Consonni (Ita/Cofidis)

5. Rick Zabel (Ger/Israel Start-Up Nation)

6. Nico Denz (Ger/Sunweb)

7. Fernando Gaviria (Col/UAE Team Emirates)

8. Stefano Oldani (Ita/Lotto-Soudal)

9. Jacopo Mosca (Ita/Trek-Segafredo)

10. Elia Viviani (Ita/Cofidis)