2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 11 Results

NAVARDAUSKAS WINS IN VAJONT, NIBALI KEEPS MAGLIA ROSA

Lithuania’s Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp), who wore the Maglia Rosa for two days in 2012 after his team won the team time trial, took an individual stage win today at Vajont. He joined a 20-man breakaway, and then attacked, first in the company of Daniel Oss (BMC Racing), and then alone. Oss finished second in the stage, 1 minute 08 seconds after Navardauskas, and Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani CSF Inox) finished third, 2 minutes 59 seconds behind the stage winner.

The Maglia Rosa, worn by Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), was never under threat today.

"Everyone could see that there was a good chance of a breakaway forming today," said Navardauskas. "That’s why it took so long for the breakaway to form. The first part of the stage was on a descent and into a headwind, so it was difficult to open a gap. When we hit the long climb, the racing changed. The breakaway formed and everyone knew it would get away. The best guy in the General Classification was 10 minutes down, so the GC contenders could take it easy in view of the big stages that are approaching."

Vincenzo Nibali said after the finish, "The racing was pretty tranquil today. A breakaway got away and we controlled it from behind. It isn’t the first time I’ve done this. When I won the Vuelta (in 2010), it was very difficult and I had to fight to the end to win it. Here, I’m taking it day by day. The road is long, and there is stiff opposition. Urán looks strong, and Scarponi tested himself a bit on the final climb, although the gradient wasn’t really enough to thin out the group. But the team worked very well all stage. We had everything under control. Tiralongo has recovered from his bronchitis, although Are will need more time."

Ryder Hesjedal decided to continue riding, he slipped further from 33rd to 37th; now 0:31:39 behind Nibali.

Stage 11 highlights:


Top 10 Stage 11:
1 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp 4:23:14
2 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:01:08
3 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 0:02:59
4 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling 0:03:07
5 Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
6 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
7 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
8 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:03:10
9 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:11
10 Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 0:03:25

Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 43:26:27
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:41
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:02:04
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:02:12
6 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:02:13
7 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:02:55
8 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:03:35
9 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:05
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:04:17
11 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:04:21
12 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:05:06
13 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:05:08
14 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:05:26
15 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:05:57
16 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:06:08
17 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:06:55
18 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:07:46
19 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:08:41
20 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:08:43

Tomorrow: 134 km Longarone to Treviso. Mark Cavendish is the favorite but expect Goss, Viviani, Bouhanni and a few others to be battling it out to the finish line. Rain, in the forecast, may complicate matters.

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