ROME –– Einer Rubio thwarted Thibaut Pinot and Jefferson Cepeda to win the shortened 74.6km-stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia after a bizarre delayed start, with organisers forced to change the route due to adverse weather conditions.
Colombian rider Rubio (Movistar) delivered a perfectly-timed sprint in the final kilometre to earn his first Grand Tour stage win in style, while Geraint Thomas retained the leader’s maglia rosa jersey.
In a three-way duel on the slopes of Crans Montana, Pinot and Cepeda attacked in turns during a thrilling final ascent before Rubio dug deep and caught both of his fellow escapees with a late burst.
“It will take time for me to realise that I won a stage of the Giro d’Italia. I didn’t believe I’d do it,” said Rubio, who raised his arm above his head and pointed to the sky as he crossed the finish line.
“It’s been difficult with the bad weather. But I had to keep going. I knew that Pinot was very strong, Cepeda as well. I had to finish with him and play it well tactically,” he added according to Reuters.
Rubio finished six seconds ahead of Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), with Cepeda (Education-EasyPost) another six seconds behind.
The race has been plagued by dreadful weather and organisers had already removed the climb up the Great St Bernard Pass from the 13th stage shortening the 207km route to 199km due to snow and the risk of avalanches.
Riders made their scheduled departure under heavy rain at Borgofranco d’Ivrea but quickly re-boarded their team buses, before organisers re-routed the start of the stage to Le Chable, at the bottom of the brutal Croix de Couer climb.
“Given the adverse weather conditions, especially on the Italian side, the Commission decided to meet the athletes’ requests by applying the Extreme Weather Protocol,” organisers said.
Ineos Grenadiers rider Thomas finished ninth and two-second lead over Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma). Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) remained third overall, 22 seconds behind.
“Primoz is probably happy to leave me in the Maglia Rosa for a few more days,” Thomas said. “I expect something more from him next week.”
Stage six winner Mads Pedersen, who was second in the standings for the points jersey, dropped out of the race after falling ill overnight, becoming the latest rider to abandon this year’s Giro.
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