Stage 13: Nieve salvages Sky’s Giro

After the disappointment of losing team leader Mikel Landa earlier in the week, Team Sky celebrated success Friday with Mikel Nieve winning stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia. The Spaniard rode alone to victory after attacking on the penultimate categorized climb of a tough, 170km day from Palmanova to Cividale del Friuli, Italy. Movistar’s Giovanni Visconti rode solo to second place, and Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali sprinted to third.

Movistar’s Andrey Amador took advantage of the stage’s four categorized climbs, wresting the pink leader’s jersey from Etixx – Quick-Step’s Bob Jungels, who is now 26 seconds behind in the overall. Nibali sits third, 41 seconds back.

“It was a plan. After Landa abandoned, we had the objective to win one stage, and today was possible, and we tried, two of us,” said Nieve. “We don’t know, we try again. We win today. Tomorrow is again hard. We try all the mountainous stages.”

At the base of the first climb, an 8.3km, category 1 ascent of Montemaggiore, a huge group of 30 riders broke off the front of the peloton. Stefan Denifl (IAM Cycling) escaped from that group and crested the climb first.

Denifl stayed out front and won the second KOM too. After 90 kilometers of racing, the chasers caught up …

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