Giro d'Italia (st. 10)

Movistar Team leader goes offensive at hard Altopiano del Montasio climb, first of two consecutive mountain-top finishes in the beginning of the Giro's second week

After a well-deserved rest day on Monday, the 2013 Giro d’Italia got back on track today with the first of two consecutive mountain-top finishes. Stage ten, 167km from Cordenons to Altopiano del Montasio, got decided into the 11-kilometer, 8% average final climb, most importantly on the final 3k. Just before the hardest part, a valiant Beñat Intxausti went on the attack to split the group of favourites, previously left by Urán (SKY), who ended up winning the stage.

Intxausti was later overcome by some of the favourites -Nibali, Evans, Pozzovivo, Betancur, Santambroggio and Majka- but held to the wheel of Scarponi, Niemiec and Wiggins, whose company was left by the Basque rider with 1.5k from the finish to claim a notable 9th at the finish, just two seconds off the overall top ten. Beñat relied on help by a recovered Eros Capecchi into the first climb, Cason di Lanza (70k from the finish) to keep the position into the 30-rider group, that was later joined by some dropped -including José Herrada- in the descent to the final climb.

Another mountain-top finish is scheduled for Wednesday with the Cat-2 climb of Vajont (7.5km / 5%), the end of a 182-kilometer trek starting at Tarvisio and also featuring the Sella Ciampigotto (Cat-2), 60k from the end.