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2013 Giro D'Italia: Stage 20

Results, map, stage profile, summary and photos

Back to 2013 Giro page | Stage 20 photos (posted below results and stage maps) |

Stage 20, May 25: Silandro/Schlanders - Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Auronzo di Cadore), 210 km. Stage 20 had originally been scheduled to include the Costalunga, San Pellegrino, Giau, Tre Croci and Tre Cime di Lavaredo ascents, but snow has forced the organizers to delete all but the Tre Croci and Tre Cime di Lavaredo climbs.

Rated ascents:

Km 196.5: Passo Tre Croci (1,805m), 7.9 km @ 7.5% gradient, Category 2
Km 210: Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2,304m), 8.6% gradient, Cima Coppi (this year's highest point)

Vincenzo Nibali

Weather: At 11:55 AM local time at Cortina d'Ampezzo (23 km from the finish) it's 6C (41F), cloudy, with a 40% chance of showers forecast for the afternoon.

The Race: Before the stage was even 15 kilometers old a four-man break (Adam Hansen, Pavel Brutt, Yaroslav Popovych and Giairo Ermeti) was established. With 41 km to go they had four minutes on the maglia rosa group. Euskaltel and Colombia did most of the day's chasing but at 30 km to go Cannondale massed at the front.

Through Cortina d'Ampezzo (22 km to go), which signalled the beginning of the climbing, it was raining and the break had about two and a half minutes. Meanwhile, Carlos Betancur had a mechanical and had three Ag2r teammates pace him back up to the bunch. At 19 km to go, Betancur was still a minute behind the Nibali group which had been quickly reduced to about 20 riders as the road began to really bite. A couple of kilometers later Betancur made contact with the Nibali group.

Betancur had more bike trouble and Rafal Majka's Saxo-Tinkoff squad went to the front to try and put some distance between white jersey Majka and his biggest threat for the young rider classification, Carlos Betancur.

Over the snowy crest of the Tre Croci and facing a bitterly cold descent: Pavel Brutt was first followed by Pieter Weening at 26 seconds, then Stefano Pirazzi a few seconds later and then the Nibali group at 46 seconds.

On the lower slopes of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo at 8 km to go, Eros Capecchi was leading Pieter Weening and Gianluca Brambilla with Pirazzi and Darwin Atapuma a little bit further back and the Nibali group led by Astana at 1min. Everyone looked very cold.

As the final four kilometers began Capecchi still had his lead, chased by Brambilla and Weening while Astana remained at the front of the Nibali group.

Bam! Nibali and teammate Tanel Kangert used a steep part of the climb and opened a gap. The move was neutralized. Nibali went again and this time looked to have done something that would stick. He went past Capeccchi and with 2.2 kilometers to go, set off to try for a stage win on one of the Giro's legendary climbs. Betancur (without Majka) and Rigoberto Uran emerged from the contender's group to chase, but Nibali was on song. Nibali's biggest danger was the overenthusiastic tifosi who had no trouble running next to him on the steep slope.

Cadel Evans struggled while Uran was working to take second place. The conditions during the final kilometers were dreadful with biting cold and snow. Nibali crossed the line having won a monumental stage while Uran's ride took him up to second place.

Post stage note: Evans' bike malfunctioned. He blames his time loss on an unspecified technical problem with his gears during the final two kilometers.

Results