Giro 2013 Stage 16: Intxausti victorious

Benat Intxausti made it two wins in a row for Movistar, with the Spaniard outsprinting Tanel Kangert (Estonia/Astana) and Przemyslaw Niemiec (Poland/Lampre) Tuesday in Ivrea. Intxausti, who wore the pink jersey for a day, joins his teammates Alex Dowsett (Great Britain) and Giovanni Visconti (Italy) in 2013 Giro d’Italia wins.

The stage began with the peloton climbing the Cat. 1 Col du Mont Cenis once more. This prompted an enormous breakaway that contained three main players in the blue mountains-jersey competition: leader Stefano Pirazzi (Italy/Bardiani Valvole), Jackson Rodriguez (Venezuela/Androni Giocattoli) and Robinson Chalapud (Colombia/Colombia). The Canadian Christian Meier of Orica-GreenEdge was also accounted for.

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It was Jackson who crested the summit first ahead of Pirazzi. After the descent, the mob of fugitives beat on, only beginning to attack each other at the 50-km-to-go mark. Once more, Pirazzi was in the mix, digging again and again both before and on the last climb of the day, the Cat. 3 Andrate. Meanwhile, back in the peloton, Michele Scarponi (Italy/Lampre) lit the GC fireworks. Mauro Santambrogio (Italy/Vini Fantini), fourth place on GC at the beginning of the day, missed out on the move.

Young rider competition leader Carlos Betancur (Colombia/Ag2r) attacked over the summit, leaving second place crumbs for Pirazzi. On the twisty, bumpy descent, Sammy Sanchez (Spain/Euskatel) joined him, but the GC contenders came together and the group launched attack after attack on the 7.5-km flat leading to the finish line.

When the dust had settled it was Intxausti, Niemiec and Kangert ahead alongside Robert Gesink (Netherlands/Blanco), who dropped his chain with 1.7 km remaining. It was Niemiec who led out the sprint, but Intxausti won by three bike lengths.

2013 Giro Stage 16
1) Benat Intxausti (Spain/Movistar) 5:52:48
2) Tanel Kangert (Estonia/Astana) s.t.
3) Przemyslaw Niemiec (Poland/Lampre) s.t.
83) Dominique Rollin (Canada/FDJ) +9:46
138) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +16:16
171) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +17:17

2013 Giro GC
1) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) 67:55:36
2) Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC) +1:26
3) Rigoberto Uran Uran (Colombia/Sky) +2:46
77) Dominique Rollin (Canada/FDJ) +1:55:39
145) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +3:02:40
158) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +3:15:50