Hindley kept pace with Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) for much of the queen stage over the Mortirolo and Valico di Santa Cristina, before edging his rival in the sprint for third place to take a four-second bonus.
Bora-Hansgrohe played a significant role in the result, orchestrated by sports director Enrico Gasparotto, and Hindley was happy to heap more pressure on his rivals.
“It was a pretty epic day, as expected, with some hard climbs,” Hindley said.
“I felt quite good and so I tried some attacks on the climb but couldn’t shake Carapaz and Landa.
“It was good to get the bonus seconds at the finish and to gain time on other GC guys. All in all, a good day and the sensations are good, it’s all good.”
Lennard Kamna and Wilco Kelderman made sure they were in the breakaway of the stage, one ultimately won by Jan Hirt (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux), though Kelderman later dropped back to aid Hindley, who also had support from Emanuel Buchmann.
Gasparotto was pleased with Bora’s performance as a result, with the upcoming journey to Lavarone forming Hindley’s next best chance to catch Carapaz and move further clear of fellow GC contenders Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious).
“Jai once again showed that he was solid,” Gasparotto said. “He even took four seconds in the sprint at the finish and that’s the third time he’s beaten Carapaz like that in this Giro.
"We’re getting closer to the pink jersey.”
Carapaz, meanwhile, maintained his optimistic outlook on the standings, having gained ground on Almeida with his fourth-placed finish to the stage.
“It was a tough stage, and, in the end, I have to say I am happy,” Carapaz said.
“I thought I would win the sprint for third place and take the bonus. Even if I didn’t manage it, this is still a good day for me.
“True, I lost a few seconds to Hindley, but I gained more on Almeida, so the balance is positive.”
The 202-kilometre journey across the Alps took its toll on Almeida, who admitted to fatigue after placing eighth on a stage that featured over 5,000 metres of altitude gain.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese believes his chances of GC success remain intact, particularly as the time trial in Verona concludes the Grand Tour.
“Everything is still on the table,” Almeida said. “There are some good time gaps but nothing is lost.
“I don’t think 15 seconds or so is much after climbing for 5,000 metres. It’s all about the legs for the rest of the race and we need to keep fighting.”
The Giro d'Italia continues tonight with Stage 17 heading to Laverone over a course of 168 kilometres that includes the late climb of the Monte Rovere, eight kilometres at 9.6 per cent. Watch via SBS On Demand from 8:20pm (AEST), with SBS coverage starting from 11:00pm (AEST). WA viewers can watch from 9:00pm (AWST) on SBS VICELAND.
