It was a day for the break today as the peloton took the day off saving their legs for the impending Pyrenees. Michele Scarponi instigated the escape group when he took off on the categorized climb with much of the stage remaining. The group formed ten strong and included the aforementioned Scarponi (LAM), Santaromita (BMC), Coppel (COF), Zandio (SKY), Txurruka (CJR), Intxausti (MOV), Martinez (EUS), Mollema (BEL), Nocentini (ALM) and the 21 year old Warren Barguil (ARG).
In the final 1km it was Warren Barguil who counter attacked from the group and the young man held of the hesitant break to take his first win in a grand tour. Michele Scarponi worked his way back into the top 20 with the break and if he can perform in the mountains may be able to chip away toward a top ten finish.
The mountains start in Earnest tomorrow as the Vuelta climbs again into Andorra beginning three brutal stages where the GC may well be decided.
2013 Stage 13 Top Five
1. Warren Barguil (ARG)_______4h00’13”
2. Rinaldo Nocentini (ALM)____+7″
3. Bauke Mollema (BEL)
4. Ivan Santaromita (BMC)
5. Xavier Zandio (SKY)
Overall Classification after 13 stages
1. Vincenzo Nibali (AST)_______49h29’02″
2. Nicolas Roche (TST)________+31″
3. Alejandro Valverde (MOV)____+46″
4. Chris Horner (RLT)_________+46″
5. Joaquim Rodriguez (KAT)____+2’33″
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM)____+2’44″
7. Ivan Basso (CAN)___________+2’52″
8. Thibault Pinot (FDJ)_________+3’35″
9. Rafal Majka (TST)___________+3’46″
10. Daniel Moreno (KAT)________+3’56″
11. Leopold Konig (NET)________+4’08″
12. Tanel Kangert (AST)________+5’05″
13. Rigoberto Uran (SKY)_______+5’46″
14. Samuel Sanchez (EUS)______+6’38″
15. Eros Capecchi (MOV)________+6’47″
16. Michele Scarponi (LAM)_____+7’49″
17. Dominik Nerz (BMC)________+8’02
…
20. David Arroyo (CJR)________+9’28″
…
22. Mikel Nieve (EUS)_________+10’04″
23. Igor Anton (EUS)__________+10’05″
24. Sergio Luis Henao (SKY)___+10’32″
And the press hail ‘the next great hope of French cycling’. Hang about…they haven’t given the last one a chance yet!
Maybe the press is onto something… kid just won again today. The papers are going to run out of ink.
You could be right….very impressive win again today.