Due to bad weather in Italy, the organization decided to shorten the stage considerably. Instead of 199 kilometres, Peloton has covered only 74.6 kilometres. To accommodate the Italian cycling enthusiasts, the riders took a demonstration ride through the area in the morning, after which everyone boarded a bus to be taken to the official start. Due to the team’s bus delays, the stage did not finally begin until 3 p.m.

The start of the Giro’s thirteenth stage was moved to Le Châble. As a result, the riders immediately started climbing the Croix de Couer. From the starting signal, the riders immediately tried to attack. In the end, an early split occurred with Ainer Rubio, Jefferson Cepeda, Matthew Ricitello, Valentin Barrett-Pinter, Thibaut Pinot, Bruno Armirale, and Derek G.

Pinot got a forty at the Croix de Couer and did well in the mountains classification. After a perilous descent the riders escaped unharmed, followed by a relatively flat thirty kilometers until the final climb. There Pinot showed from the first measure that he wanted to take home the mountain jersey and stage victory. He put in attack after attack, but was unable to get Cepeda out with a left ball off the wheel.

Cepeda, Benott and Rubio remained in the final. There was a lot of upset between Cepeda and Pinot and they tried to walk each other down a few times. In the end, the third won. Rubio turned out to be the last after the wear and tear and hit in the last few hundred meters of the stage. Pinot was second and took the lead in the mountains classification.

In the group riders classification, Hugh Carthy took six seconds on his rivals. The pink jersey remained on the shoulders of Geraint Thomas. Briton Eneos Grenadiers crossed the finish line a minute and a half after the winner and was two seconds ahead of Slovenian Primoz Roglic from Jumbo Visma.

In the group favourites, Thomas’ teammates, including Thymen Arensman, set the pace. There were no major attacks, so the rose wearer maintained his advance without major problems. On Saturday, a stage will follow from Sierre to Cassano Magnago with only a big climb at the start of the stage.