Ilnur Zakarin notched a big win for Katusha-Alpecin today, excelling at the first summit finish of the 2019 Giro d’Italia. His effort pushed him up to third in a General Classification that saw a lot of big moves today with Bauke Mollema climbing to fourth and Mikel Landa jumping from 21st to eighth.
After Thursday’s intermediate alpine stage, today’s course for the Giro pits the riders against three categorized climbs over its 196km, including one climb that is new to the race (the 1405m Pian del Lupo) and the highest ascent (so far) of this year’s race, the 1196m above category Nivolet, which is the first summit finish of the race.
Four riders pulled out of the race overnight. Jakub Marezcko missed the time cut yesterday, and James Knox pulled out from a knee injury suffered last week. Sprinters Roger Kluge and Giacomo Nizzolo all dropped out.
The stage started with plenty of attacks, but after yesterday’s big break, the peloton seemed less amenable to letting anyone go.
Hector Carrettero, Dario Cataldo and Krists Neilands make a go, but are pulled back.
As the race approached the day’s first categorized climb, Rojas, Vuillermoz, De Gendt and Hamilton attacked with Neilands & Conci chasing.
The attack grows to another group of about 20 riders. Andre Amador, Hector Carrettero and Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar), Tony Gallopin and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale), Mattia Cattaneo and Fausto Masnada (Androni-Giocattoli), Dario Cataldo, Ion Izagirre and Andrey Zeits (Astana), Antonio Nibali and Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida), Davide Formolo (Bahrain-Merida), Victor De La Parte (CCC Team), Joe Dombrowski (EF Education First), Krists Neilands and Ruben Plaza (Israel Cycling Academy), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Chris Juul-Jensen and Mikel Nieve (Mitchelton-Scott), Eddie Dunbar and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Ineos), Antwan Tolhoek (Jumbo-Visma), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin), Bauke Mollema, Gianluca Brambilla, Giulio Ciccone and Nicola Conci (Trek-Segafredo).
Ignatas Konovalovas (Groupama-FDJ), Giovanni Lonardi (Nippo-Fantini-Faizanè) and Mark Renshaw (Dimension Data) have all pulled off and gotten into the team car this morning.
UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma were leading the peloton as the gap grew to 3:10 for the leaders.
Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos) also abandons after a crash in the breakaway.
The peloton is keeping the rubber band a little tighter today than yesterday, with the gap to the break hovering between 2 and 3 minutes at the most.
As the break hits Pian del Lupo, the second climb of the day, the strongest riders in the attack and the peloton are being sifted out. Rojas was distanced along with Plaza, Cataldo and Juul Jensen.
Bilbao and Lopez made an attack from the peloton. It was brought back, but spurred another attack from Martens. Bouwman was going backwards very quickly, and Jungels and Polanc were also struggling a little bit. Polanc looked to be getting some help from former maglia rosa and teammate Conti.
Cataldo was back with the GC favorites and was doing a pull on the front.
It was Landa, Carapaz, López, Bilbao, Nibali, Majka, Carthy, Yates, Hamilton, Sivakov, Roglic in the group of GC favorites, trailing the leaders by around 30 seconds as the approach to Nivolet loomed just down the road. Astana, Movistar and Bahrain-Merida were doing the bulk of the work.
As the race nears the finish, Landa attacks with about 15km remaining. Astana worked to close it down, but Landa surged again. Roglic and Yates were among those that were slightly distanced along with Polanc.
Yates again looked like he was in trouble.
Landa got Carreterro and Amador for company as Yates got dropped by Polanc. Landa was leading the Nibali/Roglic group by 20 seconds, but was still 1:40 behind the stage leaders.
Pozzovivo was helping Nibali and together they cut the gap to Landa to just 15 seconds, but Masnada and Dombrowski joined Landa and pulled the gap back out a little.
With about 5km remaining, Landa was just 1:18 behind the leaders and 25 seconds ahead of the Nibali/Roglic group.
As Lopez was nearing the Nibali/Roglic group, Roglic went on his own attack. Nibali brought him back, but Lopez was distanced again.
With 2km remaining, Landa was one minute back on the leaders, with Nibali and Roglic over two minutes back and Polanc over 3 minutes back. Landa passed and dropped Mollema as he continues to pick his way through the stragglers. He was 1:05 behind Zakarin and looked set to gain 1:40 on Roglic and Nibali.
Zakarin crossed the line first, a big win for Katusha-Alpecin. Nieve came over the line to take second place 34 seconds later with Landa in third at 1:19 behind Zakarin.
Carapaz came in about 20 seconds behind Landa, with Bauke Mollema is just behind. Roglic and Nibali came over the line together, 2:57 back. Lopez came in next. He lost about 1:30 to Nibali and Roglic today.
Next is Polanc at about 4 minutes down, trying to limit his losses. Yates crossed the line five minutes down.
Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the stage winner Ilnur Zakarin said: “I’m very happy with this victory. My two attacks weren’t planned at all. I came to the Giro d’Italia to make the top 5 and I hope it’s still possible.”
The race leader Jan Polanc said: “It was a very hard stage, I tried to pace myself on the climb and I’m happy to have managed to defend the Maglia Rosa. I have to thank the team that worked hard all day. Tomorrow we’ll see how it goes.”
Stage 13 Brief Results:
- Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) in 5h34’40”
- Mikel Nieve (Mitchelton-Scott) at 35″
- Mikel Landa (Movistar Team) at 1’20”
- Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) at 1’38”
- Bauke Mollema (Trek Segafredo) at 1’45”
- Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 2’08”
- Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) at 2’57”
- Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) s.t.
- Pavel Sivakov (Team Ineos) at 3’34”
- Davide Formolo (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 3’50”
General Classification After Stage 13:
- Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) at 54h28’59”
- Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) at 2’25”
- Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) at 2’56”
- Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) at 3’06”
- Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) at 4’09”
- Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) at 4’22”
- Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4’28”
- Mikel Landa (Movistar Team) at 5’08”
- Pavel Sivakov (Team Ineos) at 7’13”
- Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team) at 7’48”
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