Steven Kruijswijk won’t be underestimating his Giro d’Italia rivals

With Alejandro Valverde sitting 3-23 behind in third place, Steven Kruijswijk isn't taking his Giro d'Italia lead for granted

Steven Kruijswijk ahead of stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia (Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) admits he's surprised to be leading the Giro d'Italia going into stage 17 but he's not taking his three-minute lead for granted heading into the final mountain stages.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) showed he's still up for the fight on stage 16, despite sitting over three minutes down on the Dutchman, attacking on the climbs and eventually winning the stage ahead of the man in the pink jersey.

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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.