Alberto Bettiol has finally found his big day in this 2016 Giro d’Italia. The Italian from XDS Astana won stage 13 between Alessandria and Verbania after a devastating attack on the final climb to Ungiasca, where he left Andreas Leknessund behind to secure a solo victory and give his team their third stage win in this edition of the Giro.
The 189-kilometer stage initially seemed destined for a large breakaway, and the peloton never showed any real intention of controlling the race. Bahrain Victorious and Visma allowed the breakaway to operate, already thinking about the big mountain stage the following day, and this allowed a breakaway of fifteen riders to build a lead of more than ten minutes.
Among the notable names in the breakaway were Jasper Stuyven, Toon Aerts, Michael Valgren, Mikkel Bjerg, Andreas Leknessund, and Bettiol himself. There was also Spanish presence with Diego Pablo Sevilla, very active throughout the stage and accumulating points in the secondary classifications.
The race was decided in the final thirty kilometers, when the two final climbs appeared near Lake Maggiore. The unprecedented ascent to Ungiasca, with 4.7 kilometers at 7.1% and sections approaching 10%, completely whittled down the breakaway.
Leknessund was the first to make a move with an attack two kilometers from the summit, but Bettiol responded with authority. The Italian caught the Norwegian on a tough hairpin bend and shortly after launched his decisive attack. He crested the summit first and on the subsequent descent extended his lead even further thanks to his aggression and power riding solo.
Behind, Jasper Stuyven managed to salvage the day with a third-place finish after winning the sprint from the chasing group, while Toon Aerts eventually cracked on the steepest part of the final climb and was out of contention for the podium.
The peloton of favorites crossed the finish line more than eleven minutes behind, in a stage that was completely controlled and without any moves among the GC contenders. Afonso Eulálio thus retains the pink jersey before a mountain stage that could completely change the Giro.
Top 10 stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia 2026
1. Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana) – 3:51:33
2. Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) – at 26 s
3. Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) – at 44s
4. Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) – at 44 seconds
5. Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – at 44s
6. Joshua Kench (Groupama-FDJ) – at 44s
7. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 1:33
8. Francesco Busatto (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – at 1:35
9. Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility) – at 1:35 10. Diego Pablo Sevilla (Polti VisitMalta) – a 1:35
Source: www.brujulabike.com