BMC Racing Team’s Martin Kohler impressively soloed for 180 kilometers of Wednesday’s 201 km stage to earn the King of the Mountains jersey at the Giro d’Italia.

Long Day
Kohler enjoyed a maximum lead of 11:50 after escaping the field in the first 12 km. His advantage dropped considerably on the treacherous gravel roads of the Strade Bianchi and he was caught with 10 km to go. “To take my first mountain jersey of my career in such a big race is unbelievable,” Kohler said. “It was a long day for me. I wasn’t happy that I was alone. The climbs on the gravel roads were really steep and it wasn’t possible to stand up because my back wheel kept slipping. So I lost a lot of time there.” Pieter Weening (Rabobank) soloed to win the stage and take the overall lead.

Barton Withdraws
BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Fabio Baldato called Kohler’s effort “a super, really good job.” “We decided this morning to follow the attacks and get in the breakaway and to have Johann Tschopp (who finished 30th) stay with the best guys on the GC,” Baldato said. Chris Barton withdrew from the race and Chris Butler escaped with only minor scrapes from a crash, Baldato said.