Giro d’Italia: Nizzolo ends run of near misses as Bernal holds lead

Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) finally took a long-awaited Giro d’Italia stage victory in what is his eighth participation in the race, blasting home first at the end of a flat stage to Verona. The Italian sprinter had clocked up 11 second places since his Giro debut in 2012, but finally broke that duck with a long gallop to the line on Friday.

Triumphing in the city of Romeo and Juliet, Nizzolo joked about his sequence of runner-up slots after the win. “I said today my goal was to be second, maybe that was the trick to get the victory,” he smiled. “I am super-happy. The only goal I had today was to sprint and not get blocked in the final.”

The stage ended on the same long, wide finishing straight that saw the surprise victory of Oscar Freire in the 1999 world road race championships. On that occasion the relatively unknown Spaniard jumped early and caught the others contenders by surprise. The Italian Edoardo Affini (Team Jumbo-Visma) tried to replicate that, accelerating into the final corner and opening up a lead of several bike lengths over the peloton.

Nizzolo jumped hard to move past other riders at the head of the bunch, had a slight respite on the wheel of Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) and then overhauled Affini close to the line.

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“I went quite far in the wind, but I had to do that,” he said. “It worked out. He [Affini] was there, a reference for me. I tried to catch him as fast as possible. He did a great effort so congrats to him as well. But I am so happy today. This is nice, I will enjoy it.”

The stage featured a four-hour plus breakaway by Samuele Rivi (Eolo), Umberto Marengo (Bardiani-CSF) and Simon Pellaud (Androni Giocattoli), who attacked at the drop of the flag and opened up a maximum lead of more than seven and a half minutes. The trio were ultimately caught with seven kilometres to go.

Nicolas Roche moved to the front as part of the Team DSM effort to set up their sprinter Max Kanter for the inevitable bunch gallop. Roche led the bunch inside the final four kilometres, then other teams swept forward. These included the Cofidis team of Elia Viviani, who is from the finishing city of Verona and who wanted to try to win on home soil. However it was another Italian, the Milanese Nizzolo, who swooped and triumphed, ending a long wait.

The general classification contenders all finished in the same bunch, preserving the overnight standings. Indeed the first 27 places overall remain unchanged. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) maintains his 45 second advantage over closest rival Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana - Premier Tech). Dan Martin (Israel Start Up Nation) stays 17th, just over seven minutes back.

He will hope any break stays within striking distance on Saturday’s stage to the top of the fearsome Monte Zoncolan, and that he will have the tactics and the legs to aim for the win.

Giro d’Italia, Italy (WorldTour) Stage 13, Ravenna to Verona

1, Giacomo Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) 198 kilometres in 4 hours 42 mins 19 secs; 2, E. Affini (Jumbo-Visma); 3, P. Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe); 4, D. Cimolai (Israel Start-up Nation); 5, F. Gaviria Rendon (UAE Team Emirates); 6, S. Oldani (Lotto Soudal) all same time

Irish: 65, D. Martin (Israel Start-up Nation) same time; 122, N. Roche (Team DSM) at 51 secs

Teams: 1, Team Qhubeka Assos, 14 hours 6 mins 57 secs; 2, UAE Team Emirates; 3, Jumbo-Visma, both same time

Other: 4, Team DSM; 10, Israel Start-up Nation, each same time

General classification after stage 13

1, Egan Bernal Gomez (Ineos Grenadiers) 53 hours 11 mins 42 secs; 2, A. Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) at 45 secs; 3, D. Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 1 min 12 secs; 4, H. Carthy (EF Education-Nippo) at 1 min 17 secs; 5, S. Yates (Team BikeExchange) at 1 min 22 secs; 6, E. Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 1 min 50 secs

Irish: 17, D. Martin (Israel Start-up Nation) at 7 mins 6 secs; 62, N. Roche (Team DSM) at 1 hour 3 mins 12 secs

Points classification: 1, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) 135; 2, G. Nizzolo (Team Qhubeka Assos) 126; 3, D. Cimolai (Israel Start-up Nation) 113

Mountains classification: 1, Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën Team) 96; 2, E. Bernal Gomez (Ineos Grenadiers) 48; 3, D. De Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix) 24

Young riders classification: 1, Egan Bernal Gomez (Ineos Grenadiers) 53 hours 11 mins 42 secs; 2, A. Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) at 45 secs; 3, R. Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) at 2 mins 22 secs

Combativity classification: Simon Pellaud (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec)

Sprints classification: Umberto Marengo (Bardiani CSF Faizanè)

Breakaway classification: Simon Pellaud (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec)

Fair Play classification: 1, Bahrain Victorious; 2, EF Education-Nippo; 3, Bora-Hansgrohe

Teams classification: 1, Ineos Grenadiers, 159 hours 42 mins 15 secs; 2, Trek-Segafredo, at 1 min 51 secs; 3, Team DSM, at 8 mins 58 secs

Other: 17, Israel Start-up Nation, at 1 hour 35 mins 16 secs