Thymen Arensman set a measured tempo on the latter slopes of stage 14 to finish in sixth place, and now sits fourth on the general classification.
On a sweltering day in the saddle, the Dutchman crossed the line one minute and 23 seconds back on solo stage winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike). Arensman now sits 3:03 back on the new race leader as the Giro approaches its final rest day.
The Netcompany INEOS team worked hard to support both Arensman and Egan Bernal across a demanding 133km test, which featured five categorised climbs.
After the initial attack from Vingegaard with 4.6km to go, Bernal helped pace his teammate before eventually going on to finish 10th atop the Pila climb. That result elevated the Colombian champion two places to 12th overall.
The race resumes with a likely sprint stage on Sunday, before Monday’s final rest day.