Giro d'Italia stage 13 LIVE: Another stage poised finely between sprinters and attackers
Late hills could disrupt the sprinters as the race heads to Verbania
Despite the increasing gap, Ganna isn't giving up! He's just attacked out of the peloton with Turner.
160KM TO GO
The 7-man lead group is now a 6-man lead group, as Rojas has been dropped out of it. They lead the chase group of 5 by 25 seconds, and neaarly have a minute on the peloton.
Now Sean Flynn tries an attack. There seems to be a desire in the peloton though for the riders already up the road to form the break, and for no other riders to go clear and join them.
Mick van Dijke tried an attack out the peloton but wasn't allowed to go clear, now Corbin Strong is.
The Bjerg group is 20 seconds behind the leading seven, and 15 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Correction - Bjerg, Stuyven and Bettiol are with Maestri and Busatto in a group behind the leading seven. The big group of 20 behind have been caught by the peloton.
Eulálio is backin the peloton.
Bjerg, Stuyven and Bettiol are among those in this group.
Those groups have come together, so there are now about 20 riders together trying to chase the 7 leaders.
Not one but two different chase groups have formed behind the leading seven.
Ganna attacks out of the peloton again. The Italian is really up for it today, on a stage that visits his home town.
Flat tyre for Afonso Eulálio. The pink jersey has needed to change bikes.
170KM TO GO
The seven leaders have some work to do to establish themselves as the break of the day, with their lead still only a slender 10 seconds.
The Ganna group has been caught.
Jacobs, Donovan and Sevilla are the other three riders in the lead group of seven.
Now a chase group has formed, an Ganna is present in it.
As well as Leknessund, Warbasse, Valgren and Rojas are there, plus three others.
Their lead's up to 10 seconds now.
Seven new riders form a group, including Leknessund, and have a few seconds of a lead.
Milan is the latest tot try a move, and for once doesn't have Magnier glued to his wheel.
Bjerg is looking especially keen, and is doing some big pulls to try and go clear.
Lots of attacks right from the flag but nobody has managed to get a gap yet.
It's a narrow road as they reach KM 0, so not much room to make an attack.
Just 2km now until the riders see the flag for the official start.
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Alessandria is the location for the stage start, and the riders have set off from the unofficial start.
For anyone wishing to put time into Jonas Vingegaard, they might have missed their best opportunity. Yesterday, the Dane revealed that he had been suffering from illness - but also that he now feels recovered.
And perhaps even a GC day? The final climb is both steep enough and near enough to the finish to potentially provide a launchpad for someone seeking to gain some valuable seconds; especially if the breakaway is caught by then, in which case the bonus seconds available on offer at the foot of the climb at the Red Bull KM would also come into play
That means that, despite the long stretch of flat kilometres, this is set to be another exciting day, with many riders desperate to get into the breakaway.
Were it not for the final 25km, this would have been unambiguously a stage for the Giro. But rarely wishing for anything straightforward, the organisers have included two late climbs blow this race open for all other kinds of riders, from breakaway specialists who will try and get into a move at the start of the day, puncheurs who might try an attack on them, or even GC riders who might spy an opportunity to gain some time.
Hello and welcome to stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia!
