The journey was destined to end somewhere before the Giro d'Italia comes to a close in Verona next weekend, but Juan Pedro Lopez's leader Maria Rosa appearance ended in Turin.

The 24-year-old Spaniard had led the race since finishing second from a breakaway on the summit of Etna 11 days earlier.

In Brockhaus, Trek-Segafredo's Talent did his best to limit the damage as the GC favorites attacked each other nearly two minutes up the road, but last Sunday he held on by 12 seconds. But even that slim lead would disappear once they crossed the Alps.

Lopez finished the day 4:25 behind stage winner Simon Yates. With 28km to the finish, Richard Calapaz attacked on the Superga climb and dropped out of the elite group.

He is now in 9th place overall, 4:04 behind the leader and 5 minutes behind his compatriot Alejandro Valverde in 10th place. Lopez said later that he gave his all in a tough stage and was satisfied despite losing the lead.

"I'm super happy because I gave 100%, just like yesterday, but the other guys were stronger than me. But I'm really happy because I was able to keep the maglia rosa for 10 days."

"I was surprised. I don't have any words because this stage was super hard. Like I said before, I gave 100% and tried to keep the maglia rosa, but there was nothing I could do.

"Indeed, everyone was expecting something like a bonfire today. The last 70 km were full of gas and the race was hard. As for me, I just stayed in the wheels and suffered like a pig. There are no words to describe this moment."

Lopez said he got emotional when he crossed the line because fans on the side of the road shouted his name, adding that his pink time was "the best moment of my life."

Early in the stage, when Beulah Hansgrohe triggered a decisive split in the peloton on the unclassified hill leading to the finish, Lopez made the cut at the front. He hung on with the GC favorites when the lead group was reduced to 10 riders at Superga and Colle della Maddalena.

However, on the second climb, the Superga, he was caught up in the acceleration of Carapace and Vincenzo Nibali, who pushed him to his limits and dropped him further down the order.

"When Kalapaz and Hindley attacked, I might have opened the gas pedal fully for a moment. 'If I'd kept my pace, I might have been able to stay further ahead. But it was the first time in my life that I tried to defend Maglia, and I certainly gained a lot of experience."

"Sure, Giro is still alive. And we'll see what happens. And I'll see what happens.