Giro d'Italia (st. 19)

Val Martello stage cancelled due to bad weather, which already forced to alter the day's original route. Saturday's stage under strong risk

There will be no competition today at the 2013 Giro d’Italia. Stage nineteen, which should have been ridden from Ponte di Legno to the Cat-1 Val Martello, was cancelled by the race organisers at 9.30 this morning with a short press release that pointed to snow all over the day’s course -160km after yesterday’s chance, with the climbs of Tonale (Cat-2) and Castrin (Cat-1) before the final ascent- and the worsening weather forecast as the reasons for such a choice. The improvised rest day for Movistar Team and the rest of the Giro’s convoy will be completed this evening as they take the transfer between Mezzana and Vezzano, where the Blue riders will rest expectant towards what will happen with Saturday’s last mountain stage. 210km are initially proposed from Silandro to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Cima Coppi), with the Tre Croci (Cat-2) prior to the mountain-top finish, though the expected conditions, pretty similar, could force to some other changes.