Juan Pedro Lopez inherited the best young rider's white jersey before stage 18 after Joan Almeida left the race after being attacked by COVID-19. However, he and his Trek-Segafredo teammates complained after the stage that the young Spaniard was caught in a split in the peloton in the last kilometer, leaving him 2:37 behind rival Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious).

Team manager Luca Guercilena described it as a rookie error and was clearly unhappy that the time loss meant that Lopez would not win the white jersey to close out the Giro d'Italia in Verona on Sunday.

He now leads Buitrago by 5:11, with Timen Arensmann (Team DSM) 6:46 behind. They are fresh and arguably better climbers than the 24-year-old Spaniard for the tough stages of Santuario di Castelmonte on Friday and the mountain finish in Marmolada on Saturday.

Lopez and Trek-Segafredo have had great success at the Giro d'Italia thanks to Lopez, but the young Spaniard would like to finish the race in the top 10 and wear the white jersey. Lopez led the Giro for 10 days after finishing second on Mount Etna and wearing the maglia rosa. But his efforts to defend what he had carefully built up left him fatigued.

"It was a rookie mistake," Guercilena told Cycling News and the Cycling Podcast in the bus paddock beyond the Treviso finish area.

"I can say that Joao Almeida was on course to win the white jersey, but now that he has, he shouldn't have lost time. Unfortunately, everyone is tired and I think it was more a bad position than a bad leg. I hope so."

Guercilena was not happy, but promised not to raise his voice to the riders after three weeks of hard racing and Lopez's 10-day maglia rosa.

"I won't be loud, but I will make things clear with the riders. Once we decide on a strategy, we have to follow it," he said bluntly.

Lopez was disappointed with the time loss, but tried to remain optimistic.

"I am happy to have the jersey. I want to keep this jersey until Verona and not let it go," he said in the mixed zone after wearing the special award jersey.

"It was a fast and hard stage. I had some difficult moments, but everyone in the team helped me. I'm still in the top 10 and that's my goal along with the white jersey."

"Now we have the mountain stages on Friday and Saturday.