Marco Canola Wins Giro d’Italia Stage 13

AFP / Yuzuru Sunada

Italy’s Marco Canola prevailed in a sprint finish to the Giro d’Italia 13th stage on Friday, with Colombian Rigoberto Uran retaining the overall leader’s pink jersey. Canola, with the Bardiani team, celebrated his biggest success by fending
off Venezuela’s Jackson Rodriguez and French rider Angelo Tulik in a dash to the line at the end of the 157km run from Fossano to Rivarolo.

“I hope this is the first of many,” said the rider from Venice.

Canola, Rodriguez and Tulik were part of a, early six-man breakaway, with an 11 second gap back to the fourth-placed finisher, another Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni, holder of the red points jersey. The peloton had to battle a hail storm, making life difficult for the riders. With 10km to go the three who fought out the finish had a near one and a half minute cushion on the chasing pack, with Canola best negotiating the final bend to emerge triumphant for the best win of his career. The 25-year-old turned professional in 2012, the rider from Venice competing in his second Giro.

On Saturday the 2014 Tour of Italy enters the mountains, ending up in Oropa where the late Italian climber Marco Pantani produced a memorable performance after being held up by a mechanical problem on his way to victory in the 1999 edition.

The 164km run begins in Aglie with the notorious 11.8 climb to the finish in Oropa.

Giro d’Itala Stage 13
1. Marco Canola (ITA/BAR) 3:37:31
2. Jackson Rodriguez (VEN/AND) @ s.t.
3. Angelo Tulik (FRA/EUC)
4. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA/FDJ) @ :11
5. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA/TRE) @ s.t.
6. Elia Viviani (ITA/CAN)
7. Luka Mezgec (SLO/GIA)
8. Ben Swift (GBR/SKY)
9. Tyler Farrar (USA/GRM)
10. Borut Bozic (SLO/AST)

General Classification After Stage 13
1. Rigoberto Uran (COL/OPQ) 53:15:06
2. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) @ 0:37
3. Rafal Majka (POL/TIN) @ 1:52
4. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/ALM) @ 2:32
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED/BKN) @ 2:50
6. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) @ 3:29
7. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) @ 3:37
8. Wout Poels (NED/OPQ) @ 4:06
9. Steve Morabito (SUI/BMC) @ 4:20
10. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/TRE) @ 4:41