Giro d’Italia Stage 13: live updates and blog
Roar Guru Related coverage
Please join us for live blogging of Stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia. Live coverage will begin at 22:25 with comments being added to the bottom of this post as the race progresses.
Stage 13 takes us from Savona to Cervere. The stage is 121km (75 miles) and is the second last flat stage of the Giro.
This is likely to be the final stage for the majority of the sprinters including Cavendish, Goss and Renshaw so expect some serious fireworks with what should be an epic bunch sprint.
Renshaw has already noted that he is quite fatigued after racing the Tour of Turkey and backing up a week later for the Giro. Teammate Theo Bos has also unfortunately not been able to carry over his strong form from the Tour of Turkey where he notched two stage wins. His form has been hampered by his crash on stage 2 of the Giro, so it’s still unclear if Rabobank will really fire a shot to match Sky or Orica-GreenEDGE today.
Several of their rivals have already abandoned the Giro. Thor Hushovd (BMC Racing) left feeling tired, Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) crashed on Saturday, Daniele Bennati (RadioShack-Nissan) suffered from a fever and Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM) suffered from crashes in Denmark.
The riders still in the hunt for the Maglia Rose will be looking to sit in and try and freshen up the legs ahead of the mountains, and they will focus on ensuring that any time gaps are kept to a minimum. Easier said than done as 121km it is not a very long distance and teams like Sky and Orica-GreenEDGE will be pushing the pace right up from the get go.
The GC riders generally do not get mixed up in the mayhem of the final sprint. They look to stay upright and remain in the hunt for Maglia Rose, so don’t expect a change in the General Classification with RODRIGUEZ (Katusha) currently holding it.
My tip for today is Cavendish ahead of Goss. Cav is fresher than Goss as he did not race in the Tour of Turkey and Goss has had two crashes in the last few days.
I will have several of the Total Rush Race Team on hand to provide their expert opinions and comments throughout the race.
Your comments and thoughts on the race are encouraged and, as always, appreciated.
See you on the start line.
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May 18th 2012 @ 3:57pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 3:57pm | Report comment
Posn. Name Country Team Time d
GC standing at start of Stage 13:
1 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin ESP KAT 51:19:08 0:00
2 HESJEDAL Ryder CAN GRM 51:19:25 0:17
3 CASAR Sandy FRA FDJ 51:19:34 0:26
4 TIRALONGO Paolo ITA AST 51:19:40 0:32
5 SANTAROMITA Ivan ITA BMC 51:19:57 0:49
6 KREUZIGER Roman CZE AST 51:20:00 0:52
7 INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA Benat ESP MOV 51:20:00 0:52
8 BASSO Ivan ITA LIQ 51:20:05 0:57
9 CARUSO Damiano ITA LIQ 51:20:10 1:02
10 CATALDO Dario ITA OPQ 51:20:11 1:03
May 18th 2012 @ 3:59pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
Red Jersey standings at the start of Stage 13
1 CAVENDISH Mark GBR SKY 77
2 GOSS Matthew Harley AUS OGE 65
3 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin ESP KAT 55
4 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA COG 49
5 KEIZER Martijn NED VCD 40
6 RUBIANO CHAVEZ Miguel Angel COL AND 36
7 HESJEDAL Ryder CAN GRM 36
8 VENTOSO ALBERDI Francisco J. ESP MOV 32
9 SOUPE Geoffrey FRA FDJ 32
10 TIRALONGO Paolo ITA AST 31
May 18th 2012 @ 8:40pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 8:40pm | Report comment
Thanks to Matty Goss of Orica-GreenEDGE and Cooper Vuna from ther Melbourne Rebels for the re-tweets on twitter for the blog.
May 18th 2012 @ 9:28pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 9:28pm | Report comment
Thanks to Matt Keenan for his re-tweet.
Just under an hour until we jump.
May 18th 2012 @ 9:39pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 9:39pm | Report comment
18.6 degrees and scattered clouds in Savona so conditions are looking good.
May 18th 2012 @ 10:20pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 10:20pm | Report comment
So stage 13 starts in Savona, nestled on the coast of the Mediterranean in the Northern Part of Italy. This is a lumpy stage with a lone Cat 4 climb almost off the bat which the sprinters will be looking to get over and get going. The Alps to the west, which will be on the riders left as they head north will be a reminder to all that the mountain stages are only a day away.
This is also the shortest stage of the 2012 Giro.
May 18th 2012 @ 10:33pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 10:33pm | Report comment
And we are live.
The Esky is packed with Italian Beers – Peroni, Menarbrea and Moretti and the Rush Team are en route.
May 18th 2012 @ 10:43pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
Okay so the team are here:
Neil – Bos
David Kelly – Goss
Skinny – Renshaw
Jay – Goss
Irene – Cav
May 18th 2012 @ 10:48pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 10:48pm | Report comment
111km. No break. Cat 4 climb is done.
Two guys off the front
May 18th 2012 @ 10:49pm
Bones506 said | May 18th 2012 @ 10:49pm | Report comment
F. Failli is one rider up in the break.