Match details
Start date:17th October 2020
Location:
Giro d’Italia live FREE 2020
About the match
Welcome to our live coverage from watch stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia. We are in Cervia this morning and most of the bunch still in the race have signed on and are ready to race. We should be underway in about 20 minutes. This should in theory end in a reduced bunch sprint as we have two fourth cat climbs in the finale but who knows how the stage could play out today. Demare will be looking for his fifth win of the race but will Groupama be content to the work on the front throughout the stage or will Cofidis and UAE once more do the work as they look for their first stage wins in the race?Leaving Galzignano Terme the riders will enter the Euganean hills ancient volcanoes that overlook the Padovan-Venetian plain where there are two fourth-category climbs. The first to Roccolo (averaging 8.3 per cent over 4.1km) comes in two parts the first rising up the Muro di Vallorta where the gradient briefly touches 20 per cent and the second continuing to Roccolo where there’s another abrupt ramp that’s almost as steep.

Leaving Rivadolmo there’s a second wall this time the Muro di Calaone which is just a tad under 10 per cent gradient for 2.1 kilometres. Like the Vallorta it takes a narrow twisting route through dense woodland and offers the chance for punchy climbers to ambush the sprinters. Cresting this climb, there are 16 kilometres to cover io the finish initially winding through a series of small villages until on the approach to Monselice the road runs straight and wide. This will give the sprinters teams an opportunity to reel in any riders who have taken flight.The run-in is comparatively straightforward until an extremely sharp left-hand bend 400 metres from the line. The battle to be in the vanguard aLappartient did have this (below) warning ahead of the Vuelta which is due to start next week. As far as we know all of the invited teams are going to be on the startline. Mitchelton were undecided but had internal meetings on Wednesday and will race.

The efforts that cycling has been taking have been paying off. But we must not let go the danger is still there. If we want the Vuelta to take place we’ll have to make the protocols even stricter as Spain has been hit even harder than Italy.And here’s Thomas de Gendt who didn’t get a huge bonus to race the Giro but here neatly sums up the vibe within the peloton.I have to be honest my head is not really in the race after the news of the 17 infected police officers De Gendt said to Sporza in Cesenatico. Things are going badly in this Giro. We have been discussing with the riders in the team for 20 minutes about whether or not to start because we are starting to feel unsafe.There have been more than 10 cases and yesterday I heard several riders coughing. It’s the cold season, but in the long run you can’t concentrate anymore,” he said.Some riders prefer not to start, others do. Everyone is free to do so. I’m one of the riders who would rather not start. Everyone chooses for themselves.

If you stop it’s over. But you can continue until it’s too late. Do I feel unsafe? It’s going the wrong way. It’s not so much for myself as for my family. I don’t want to infect anyone I’m concerned about that.Deceuninck Quick-Step still without a win in this year’s Giro but their Portuguese debutant Joao Almeida is now 40 seconds clear of Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb) on the overall standings ahead of tomorrow’s time trial.
Today’s top 10
You probably didn’t expect to see this today but all the fast men – except Ulissi – were spat out the back on those climbs. So Sagan misses out on an opportunity to take a second win and prise the maglia ciclamino jersey from Arnaud Demare’s back. The Slovakian almost got back on but in the end he finished 23 seconds down. The Demart this point will be especially fierce as whichever team secure it will probably win the day

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