Date: Friday, May 22
Distance: 189km
Start location: Alessandria
Finish location: Verbania
Start time: 11:40 BST / 12:40 CEST / 06:40 EDT
Finish time (approx.): 16:13 BST / 17:13 CEST / 11:13 EDT
Stage 13 of this year's Giro d'Italia sees the peloton continue into the Po Valley over a mostly flat 189 kilometre slog from Alessandria to Verbania in what looks to be another bunch sprint spoiler. The route, for the most part, is fairly unremarkable, until the climbing begins after 165 kilometres with a fairly benign 2.4 kilometre ascent to Bieno. This shouldn’t be too much trouble for the sprinters, but the fact that the climb to Ungiasca (4.7 kilometres at an average of 7.1 %) follows in such quick succession will cause issues for the heavier fastmen, who will again be left wanting for a true bunch finale. It’s then a 13.3 kilometre run into the finale, roughly half of which is downhill. The question is whether the breakaway will fight for the win, or whether there are riders in the peloton who feel confident enough in this finale to let their teams control the race. In that latter scenario, we’ll likely see a sprint from a reduced bunch – or a late attacker going clear.
Giro d'Italia 2026 stage 13 profile
Giro d'Italia 2026 stage 13 profile (RCS)
Contenders
UAE Team Emirates XRG continue to dominate this race, having won four stages already – three of whom belong to Jhonatan Narváez. But while the Ecuadorian is certainly proving to be the man of the moment in this Giro, perhaps stage 13 will be one for his teammate Jan Christen, who has looked strong despite being yet to win a stage. UAE also field Igor Arrieta, who won stage 5 in impressive, if farcical, fashion, and proved aggressive in the latter phase of stage 12.
Time trial specialist and stage 10 winner Filipo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) will be dreaming of victory in Verbania, the town where the Italian was born almost 30 years ago, and still lives there to this day. If Ganna isn’t quite able to get in the break, Ineos have other options in Magnus Sheffield and Ben Turner. Turner in particular will be looking for a stage win after a mechanical meant he missed out on Thursday’s finale.
Meanwhile, NSN field puncheur Corbin Strong as well as Ethan Vernon, a sprinter who proved on stage 13 he has the legs to compete even after a day out on the hills. Movistar can count on Orluis Aular or Lorenzo Milesi in their ongoing fight for a stage win.
If the results of Thursday's stage – which sported a very similar profile – are anything to go by, it seems sensible to rule out pure sprinters like Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), in which case other riders in sprint teams might be given the freedom to get up the road. Milan’s teammate Giulio Ciccone was close to the win on stage nine and was in his usual attacking mood towards the end of stage 12.
Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quickstep) will also be one to watch in the breakaway, as will XDS Astana’s Guillermo Thomas Silva, who has fielded two podium finishes since his stage two victory in Bulgaria. His teammates Christian Scaroni and Diego Ulissi, who fought hard in the front group for the second half of stage 11, are also looking strong, while Decathlon CMA CGM have their hopes on Oliver Naesen and Tobias Lund Andresen, who finished in second on stage one.
Others to look out for include Madis Mihkels (EF Education-Easy Post), Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling), and Toon Aerts (Lotto Intermarché).
Prediction
We think Giulio Ciccone could be the man for stage 13.
