Good morning and welcome to live coverage of Stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia.
Today, Trek-Segafredo's Juan Pedro López will wear the maglia rosa for the ninth day running, as his team defends the lead in the general classification.
López also holds the young rider's white jersey, which will once again be worn by UAE Team Emirates' João Almeida.
Arnaud Démare continues in the maglia ciclamino, as the leader of the points classification, while EOLO-Kometa's Diego Rosa remains the current King of the Mountains.
(Image credit: Getty images)
In terms of today's stage, it's one of the shortest days in the race, which will be a relief to the riders following yesterday's longest stage.
Today looks likely to end in a bunch sprint, but it will depend on how the sprinters manage the tricky third category climb, the Colle di Nava.
We begin today on the Ligurian coast in Sanremo, famously the finish location for the one-day Monument Milano-Sanremo. Today's route replicates part of the alternate 2020 route, but it will feel a lot shorter - at just 150km in total, it's only just over half of the total distance of Milano-Sanremo.
(Image credit: RCS)
At 150km, stage 12 is the second shortest road stage of the race so far, with the shortest coming tomorrow.
There's been much debate over whether today is one for the breakaway, or the sprint. With only one category three climb, and over half of the race remaining after it for sprinters to make up lost ground, a sprint seems more likely.
However, the Colle di Nava is a tricky test. 9km of climbing at an average gradient of 6% will pose a significant challenge, especially given it follows immediately after another small, uncategorised climb.
The race has rolled out in Sanremo, and the flag will shortly drop to officially begin the racing on stage 12.
🔥 Stage 1⃣3⃣ has started!🔥 La Tappa 1⃣3⃣ è partita!#Giro pic.twitter.com/XtlHuau80nMay 20, 2022
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150km to go
The race passes kilometre zero and the flag drops to begin stage 12.
EOLO-Kometa immediately move to the front of the bunch.
The peloton travels through Sanremo, and will travel alongside the coast to Imperia before turning inland and heading north.
No movement away from the front of the bunch so far.
145km to go
A small group has moved away from the peloton, and a few more try to get away.
Once again it's looking as though it may take a little while to establish the break.
Currently a group of around seven riders has a small gap, including Roger Kluge (Lotto Soudal), stage 7 winner Koen Bouwman (Jumbo Visma), Diego Rosa (EOLO-Kometa and Julius van den Berg (EF Education-Easypost).
Groupama-FDJ work on the front of the peloton to reel the breakaway back in. They are protecting maglia ciclamino Arnaud Démare, and will ride for a bunch sprint finish.
Once again a number of riders try to get away and Groupama-FDJ ride to close the gap.
Diego Rosa of EOLO-Kometa is understandably keen to be a part of today's break. He currently wears the maglia azzurra and will hope to take the KOM points available at the top of today's only categorised climb.
140km to go
A group of three has established a gap on the peloton as the race joins up with the coast once again.
They are Filippo Tagliani (Drone-Hopper), Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa) and Julius van den Berg (EF Education-Easypost). Two more riders are trying to chase on.
Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R-Citroen) and Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo Visma) join the group of three to make it a breakaway group of five.
The riders from QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, UAE Team Emirates and Groupama-FDJ block the road behind, indicating that this is likely to be our breakaway of the day.
The gap quickly grows as the peloton allow the breakaway to get ahead. The gap is around 2 minutes.
135km to go
The situation has settled already, in stark contrast to yesterday. The breakaway currently hold a 3'08" lead over the peloton, as the race travels along the coast to Imperia.
130km to go
The gap has extended slightly to 3'21", but the peloton are not allowing the breakaway too much time today as they head towards the first uncategorised climb of the day.
Nicolas Prodhomme with his AG2R-Citroen colleagues before Stage 12. The Frenchman makes up one fifth of the breakaway group, who currently hold a 3'13" advantage over the peloton. He has never won a race at world tour level.
(Image credit: Getty images)
125km to go
The sprinters' teams are working on the front of the peloton to keep the gap relatively small. QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl ride for Mark Cavendish, Israel-Premier Tech for Giacomo Nizzolo, UAE Team Emirates for Fernando Gaviria and Groupama-FDJ for Arnaud Démare.
The race turns inland and begins to head north towards today's final destination, Cuneo.
They will tackle a short uncategorised climb and an intermediate sprint before they take on the day's only categorised climb, the cat 3 Colle di Nava.
120km to go
The gap remains around 3'20" as the race closes in on the day's first ascent.
The breakaway group of five riders are working well together, however, with the sprinters teams working hard to drive the peloton it doesn't look as though it's going to be a day for them today.
The peloton travels north from Liguria to Piedmont today.
(Image credit: Getty images)
115km to go
35km down on the stage and the situation remains the same, with a breakaway of five riders 3'20" up the road, and the category 3 climb in less than 10km.
Romain Bardet (Team DSM) has abandoned the race.
Romain Bardet was performing extremely well on the general classification so his abandonment of the race has come as a huge surprise. He has left the race due to alleged stomach problems.
The race heads towards the first intermediate sprint of the day, before immediately beginning the ascent of Colle di Nava.
Official statement from Team DSM regarding Romain Bardet's condition.
We are sad to confirm that @romainbardet has abandoned the #Giro. After becoming sick during yesterday’s stage, his condition worsened overnight and despite all efforts, he is no longer in a position to continue the race. 💔 pic.twitter.com/2ltgLyQuGkMay 20, 2022
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110km to go
40km have passed and the breakaway's lead has stretched out to 3'39", with just 3km remaining before the intermediate sprint, followed by the categorised climb.
The points for the intermediate sprint at Pieve di Teco are swept up by the breakaway.
105km to go
Filippo Tagliani (Drone Hopper) crossed the line first and took the maximum points available at the intermediate sprint.
Romain Bardet was said to be suffering from a stomach bug during yesterday's stage, and was pictured holding his stomach in pain at the beginning of today's stage.
His abandonment is a huge blow for his team following his great recent form, winning the GC at the Tour of the Alps and contesting for the stage win on Blockhaus on stage 9.
The ascent of the Colle di Nava (cat 3) begins.
The Colle di Nava is just under 8km in length, at an average gradient of 6%, so will pose a challenge to some of the riders, including the sprinters who may have to make up any deficit later in the stage.
The breakaway have stretched out their lead to 4'08" over the peloton.
The peloton slows the pace to allow the sprinters to conserve energy up the Colle di Nava climb. A smart move, which explains why they did not allow the breakaway to get further away in the earlier stages of the race.
The gap now moves out to 4'50".
100km to go
With 50km elapsed, we're one third of the way through today's stage, and the day's break are being allowed to extend their gap over the peloton, which is now over five minutes.
Filippo Tagliani begins to lose touch with the rest of the breakaway group on the ascent of Colle di Nava.
Tagliani drops further behind the front four of Eenkhoorn, Prodhomme, van den Berg and Maestri. He's 30 seconds behind now and the gap continues to grow.
The breakaway group of five riders, prior to Tagliani dropping behind.
(Image credit: Getty images)
Let's run down the remaining riders in the breakaway.
Mirco Maestri of EOLO-Kometa. The 30-year-old Italian is riding his sixth Giro d'Italia.
Pascal Eenkhorn of Team Jumbo Visma. The 25-year-old Dutch rider is competing in his first grand tour.
Julius van den Berg of EF Education EasyPost is also 25 years old and from the Netherlands. He rides his second Giro.
Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R-Citroen), 25 years old from France, has not yet achieved a world tour win.
None of the four have ever won a stage of a grand tour.
The breakaway reaches the summit of the climb of Colle di Nava. Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo Visma) takes the maximum points in the king of the mountains competition.
Filippo Tagliani is now 2'16" behind the front group of four, and the peloton sit at 6'19".
95km to go
The riders now face a long, gradual descent as they head towards the region of Piedmont.
90km to go
The sprinters' teams working at the front of the bunch have traded three minutes' worth of time to the breakaway, in exchange for taking the category three climb at a pace their sprinters could handle.
As they peloton crest the climb, and with just under 90km remaining, there is plenty of time for them to reel in the breakaway.
The Giro and the fans say goodbye to Romain Bardet.
Au revoir @romainbardet et prompt rétablissement #Giro pic.twitter.com/a1Nx1zaYveMay 20, 2022
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85km to go
With the climbing done and dusted, the pace picks up as the peloton takes the descent rapidly. QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl, Israel-Premier Tech, UAE Team Emirates and Groupama-FDJ are still leading the bunch.
The gap is currently 6'27" to the breakaway.
The riders will descend for almost 60km, so expect the pace of the race to be much quicker from here until the next intermediate sprint in San Michele di Moldovi, before a short kicker just afterwards.
80km to go
The peloton is strung out as they roll through the town of Ormea. They are closing in on Filippo Tagliani (Drone Hopper) who was formerly part of the breakaway.
75km to go
The peloton descends through the beautiful landscape of Piedmont, heading north to Cuneo. The gap is back below six minutes for the first time since the climb.
Arnaud Démare currently wears the maglia ciclamino and is one of the favourites to take victory on today's stage. It would be his third stage win in the 2022 Giro, and his eighth overall.
(Image credit: Getty images)
70km to go
The peloton is slowly closing the gap to the breakaway, with the gap now down to 5'37".
65km to go
The kilometres are flying by as the peloton tries to hunt down the breakaway. The four riders in the leading group are working well together, however, and still hold more than five and a half minutes over the chasing pack.
Mechanical for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix). He quickly received a new bike and is on his way. He works to re-join the bunch.
With well over half the day's racing already done, the sprinters' teams have their work cut out for them to chase down a motivated breakaway.
It contains two Dutch riders, one Italian and one Frenchman. All four stand to win their first ever grand tour stage, were they able to maintain their advantage over the chasing bunch.
60km to go
Once again, the balance of power between the breakaway and the peloton shifts, as at the current rate the bunch will not have enough kilometres left to close down the escapees.
The gap stands at 5'17".
Julius van den Berg (EF Education Easypost), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo Visma), Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa) and Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R-Citroen) are the four motivated riders who make up the four-man breakaway currently trying to stay away from a peloton in full flow. Can they make their advantage count?
55km to go
The gap hovers around 5 minutes. It looks as though it's going to be quite a close run-in between the breakaway and the bunch.
There is an intermediate sprint coming up before a short bump in the road, and then it's gradually uphill into Cuneo. The finish also goes uphill.
With just over 50km remaining, the peloton have upped the pace and are reeling the breakaway back in. The gap stands at 4'39" but is dropping gradually.
50km to go
With the main descending done for the day, the peloton are able to capitalise and start to cut into the breakaway's advantage. The gap is now down to 4'33" with one third of today's stage remaining.
The peloton rides along the Ligurian coast earlier in the stage.
(Image credit: Getty images)
45km to go
It's going to be a nail-biter today. With just under 45km remaining the gap is still well over four minutes. Could the breakaway stay away and give one of their number their first grand tour stage win?
40km to go
With 40km remaining, the gap is at around 4 minutes, and it's too close to call in terms of whether it will be a sprint or a breakaway win.
The breakaway group of four riders show no interest in the intermediate sprint. They continue to work well together.
The peloton are throwing everything at this chase. Groupama-FDJ and QuickStep-AlphaVinyl work together to try and keep the pace up, but the gap is still only just under 4 minutes.
It's looking more likely that the breakaway will hang on.
35km to go
With 35km remaining, this breakaway group look strong and confidence will be with them as they continue to maintain a decent gap on the peloton.
Four teams and three countries are represented by the four riders in the breakaway today. All the teams aside from Jumbo Visma are looking for their first stage win at this year's Giro.
30km to go
It's breathless stuff today. Every time it seems as though the breakaway have enough time over the peloton, the riders at the front of the bunch put in a strong pull and the break's lead dwindles ever further.
Juan Pedro López sits pretty in the peloton today. It looks likely he will protect his GC lead, and wear the maglia rosa for a tenth day tomorrow.
(Image credit: Getty images)
With the peloton strung out as the sprinters' teams give chase, splits form at the back of the bunch, with Richie Porte of Ineos Grenadiers among those on the wrong side of the split.
The large chasing group behind the main peloton have already lost a fair amount of time.
The gap from the breakaway to the main peloton is now 2'50".
25km to go
The balance of power shifts back to the breakaway once more, as the peloton fail to make as much of an impression on the time gap as they need to to make the catch.
Richie Porte (Ineos), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix) and Simon Yates (BikeExchange Jayco) are among those in the third group on the road, behind the main peloton.
Israel-Premier Tech and QuickStep Alpha Vinyl continue to drive the peloton but it's currently looking as though the chase will be in vain.
With just over 20km remaining, it's looking more and more likely that today will go to the breakaway, and we will have a first-time grand tour stage winner.
With Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa) among the breakaway, there is a possibility that Italy could achieve a hat-trick of three stage wins in as many days.
20km to go
Unless something changes quite drastically, the breakaway have the win there for the taking.
The gap is now 2'26" to the peloton, who are still working to try and close the gap but to no avail.
The third group on the road is at 3'42" from the front group.
The gap is now at 2'11" with 17.2km remaining. The front group continues to work together but the peloton are flying.
The gap drops below 2 minutes for the first time.
The stress is visible at the front of the peloton, with the leading riders driving at an extremely high pace.
Gap is now at 1'52".
15km to go
The four riders in the breakaway continue to push on, all seeking their first grand tour victory. Two of them (Prodhomme and Eenkhoorn) are riding their first Giro d'Italia.
The gap drops below a minute and a half with 13.3km remaining.
The question is, with the lightning fast pace the peloton is travelling at, will they have the strength left to deliver their sprinters to the line if they do manage to make the catch?
With a number of roundabouts in the final few kilometres, safety is also a major concern.
The four riders in the break power on as they close in on 10km to go.
Gap - 1'12".
10km to go
It's the most exciting possible way to finish a stage - it was touted beforehand as breakaway vs sprinters and it's manifested into a thrilling finale.
Under 10km to go, and the gap is about to drop below a minute. There are a number of challenges remaining in this final section of the parcours which may kill off the chances of this valiant front group.
Ten roundabouts to navigate in the final 10km will pose some challenges for the chasing bunch.
With 8.1km remaining, the gap is at 55 seconds.
The four riders look as though they are beginning to tire.
7.2km to go, gap is 51 seconds and closing.
QuickStep and Israel Premier Tech continue to lead the chase and it's going down to the wire.
6km to go, 41" is the gap.
5km to go
The tension is unbearable as the breakaway continues to pull hard to try and stay away from the bunch, who bear down on them at speed.
With 5km remaining, the gap hovers at 40 seconds.
The four breakaway riders are still holding strong, and the gap does not seem to be closing as quickly as it was.
4.3km to go; gap - 34"
With 3.6km to go, the gap is under half a minute - 27 seconds and closing. It still all hangs in the balance.
For the first time, the peloton are visible on the road behind the breakaway. This is an incredible ride from these four riders whatever happens.
2.4km to go, 23" the gap.
2km to go
The gap is holding steady for the first time. With 2km to go, there is still hope for the breakaway.
Just seconds stand between the front group and the peloton now. It's nerve-wracking stuff.
1.5km to go, the gap is 10 seconds.
It looks as though the breakaway's day is done. Heartbreak incoming.
Julius van den Berg (EF) tries to move off the front but the others don't follow. The gap is under 10 seconds.
La Flamme Rouge - 1km to go and it's going to be a sprint finish after all.
Maestri stays at the front and the rest of the sprinters teams line up for the sprint.
Demare launches the sprint.
Arnaud Démare wins stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia
Arnaud Démare wins stage 13 from Phil Bauhaus and Mark Cavendish and makes it three stage wins.
Phil Bauhaus was coming through strongly and almost pipped Arnaud Démare on the line but just missed out in the end.
Arnaud Démare takes the stage win in a nail-biting final sprint.
(Image credit: Getty images)
What an incredible day. The sprinters' teams calculated their advantage to perfection in the end, although for a while it looked as though the breakaway would hold on for the win.
The four riders in the breakaway were so close - it took until the final kilometre for the bunch to finally close the gap.
Quotes from today's winner, Arnaud Démare
"It was an incredible day. They really resisted at the front. We had all the elements ready and everybody worked.
"We were really riding hard. 10km to go, and I started to think about the sprint as we knew we'd get them by then. The guys did a great job. It was a monstrous lead-out. With 1.5km to go we had to go up that climb hard. I did as strong a sprint as I could.
"When I got here I was saying it would be nice to win one. I'm really happy."
Today's runner-up, Phil Bauhaus' thoughts on the day...
"Disappointed. We caught the breakaway and I started my sprint behind NIzzolo, but the finish line just came 5m too early."
Reaction from Team DSM's Romain Combaud on Romain Bardet's abandon.
"There was only one week left. It's horrible for us. He is a great champion.
"My role today was to stay with him. We said we would have an easy day, and he would get better tonight. But with the heat it was just too much for him.
"We promised to do great things for each other at this Giro. I was happy to come here and help him. Today that hurts but we will carry on."
Quotes from the maglia rosa, Juan Pedro López
"In the beginning it was OK. On the climb it was super warm. In the beginning they tried to control the break but at the top of the climb the difference was seven minutes and all the valley with the tailwind so they had to go full full gas. I don't know the average for the last two hours but for sure it was so fast. Finally the sprinters could take the victory another time.
"Tomorrow is another day so I need to enjoy like every day and we'll see what happens tomorrow. Some guys will try to make a difference but I will do 100 percent and we'll see what happens tomorrow."
DSM team coach Matt Winston had this to say on Bardet's DNF.
"It was really difficult. He started the stage yesterday and after about 10km he was being sick. We looked after him through the stage, trying to keep him cool with ice and water and really look after him and nurse him through the stage.
"He slept the whole way back in the bus after the race. He didn't eat last night, he couldn't eat anything. He was awake all night being sick.
"This morning there was a small chance he could finish today but Romain's a fighter. He wanted to start the stage, he wanted to go for it. But he was already being sick in the neutral and it just wasn't possible to continue.
"He was really ready and we prepared in a really good way in this race. It's super disappointing but we still have option shere. We're not going to give up now, we're going to keep fighting, and we'll see where we come in Verona."
We'll have plenty of news and reaction coming from our reporters on the ground. Look out for news from QuickStep, DSM, Ineos and Richard Carapaz, a preview of tomorrow's stage to Turin, and more...
