2023 Giro d’Italia: Stage 13 Results

Einer Augusto Rubio of the Movistar squad let his break companions wear themselves out had the legs to make the final go above Crans Montana to win Stage 13 of the 2023 Giro d’Italia. Rubio denied Thibaut Pinot of a chance to take a win in what looks to be his final Grand Tour. Rubio and Pinot, along with Jefferson Cepeda, led for much of the weather shortened stage. Geraint Thomas maintains his overall race lead, but Hugh Carthy managed to grab a few seconds in the GC fight.

Stage 13 was a radically shortened ride after the riders exercised the Extreme Weather Protocol. The start of the race moved from Borgofranco d’Ivrea to Le Chable at the bottom of the Croix de Couer, taking nearly 125km out of the stage including the Cat. 1 Passo del Gran San Bernardo.  The new start also meant that the riders would start their day going almost straight up the 15km of the Croix de Couer right off the line.

Today’s change came after a communique earlier in the week that the stage would skip the climb of Passo del Gran San Bernardo and instead go through the tunnel.

News reports overnight said that 41 riders have now abandoned the race. The latest to drop out was Mads Pedersen, complaining of a sore throat and a hint of tracheitis.

Off the start, the attacks started immediately. A group of about a dozen, including Hugh Carthy and Thibaut Pinot went within the first kilometers. The climb was already shredding riders off the back as well.

Carthy, being a strong climber, was not going to be given too much rope by the peloton. A group of six managed to eke out a small lead, however. In that group was Valentin Paret-Peintre (ACT), Jefferson Alexander Cepeda Ortiz (EFE), Thibaut Pinot (GFC), Derek Gee (IPT), Matthew Riccitello (IPT), and Einer Augusto Rubio Reyes (MOV) with a 57″ advantage. 4km to go on the climb at a 10 percent gradient.

The lead group dropped to a quartet with Pinot, Gee, Rubio and Cepeda Ortiz. They’d opened nearly a two minute lead. Pinot took the KOM points at Verbier and crossed the summit soon after. The 20km descent into the valley looked to be sketchy, with rain and less than ideal road conditions.

As is typical, it’s safer to descend in a small group, so the leaders opened their gap to nearly 3’30” as they made their way to the valley.   Paret-Peintre was able to bridge to the leaders, but Pinot went a little off the front to ride solo.

35km remaining and the leaders had opened their gap to 4 minutes. 20km to the base of Crans Montana, where everything could blow up.

16km to go and Pinot’s group still enjoyed a 3 minute lead.

And then they were on the climb. 13km with an average 7% grade. And Pinot went on the attack with Cepeda on his wheel.

7km to go and Pinot rides strong with a 3 minute lead over the maglia rosa group. This is expected to be his final Grand Tour before he retires, so he’d love to take a win here.

With Pinot’s group just 5km from the finish, Hugh Carthy made an attack from the maglia rosa group. Meanwhile, Cepeda made a well-timed attack and opened a gap over Pinot.

Carthy was joined by Lorenzo Fortunato as Pinot reconnected with Cepeda.

Just under 3km to go and the peloton was starting to gain on Pinot’s trio, but the gap was still about 2’24”.

2km and Cepeda attacked again. Back in the maglia rosa group, Damiano Caruso made an attack to gap Geraint Thomas.

Less than a kilometer to go and Cepeda made the initial attack, Pinot clawed back, but it was Rubio who had the legs to make the final go for it. Win to Rubio!

In quotes with his Movistar team, the stage winner Einer Augusto Rubio said: “This is the great day I’ve been looking for for so long. I’ve worked so hard preparing for this Giro. The weather was so hard for me to cope with lately – the rain really affected me yesterday. But I knew I had to keep trying, seeking for my opportunity, and I had another one today. Thank you to God and everyone supporting me – my dream came true today.

“I knew Pinot was such a strong contender, and Cepeda was also one to keep an eye on,” he continued. “I ‘only’ had to let them take their turn, play my cards, and wait for the finish. I know I will be more aware in a few hours of what I have achieved today – I was only thinking here about giving it my all, thinking about the stage victory. Now it’s ours – so let’s enjoy this success!”

The Maglia Rosa Geraint Thomas said: “We stayed calm when a small group went in the first climb. We stayed in control with Ben Swift and Pavel Sivakov setting the pace. Great ride by them. The way it went at the end made it quite hard to attack. But Primoz is probably happy to leave me in the Maglia Rosa for a few more days. I expect something more from him next week.”

Carthy managed to gain a few seconds in the GC fight, but Geraint Thomas gets another day in the maglia rosa.

Stage 13 Brief Results:

1. Einer Rubio (Movistar) in 2h16’21”
2. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) +06″
3. Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) +12″
4. Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +1’01”
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën) +1’29”
6. Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) s.t.
7. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +1’35”
8. Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) s.t.
9. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) s.t.
10. Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) s.t.

General Classification After Stage 13: