CAVENDISH MAKES IT THREE SPRINTS OUT OF THREE, MAGLIA ROSA STAYS WITH NIBALI
Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma – Quickstep) won his third stage of the 2013 Giro d’Italia today in Treviso, finishing a short, wet stage ahead of Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) and Luka Mezgec (Team Argos – Shimano).
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) retained the Maglia Rosa.
Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma – Quickstep), stage winner:
Your 100th win: "Normally, these records are not so meaningful, but this one is special. It isn’t easy to win 100 races. I’ve been looking forward to this one. It’s good to do it at the Giro, and it’s good to do it the way we did it, because my teammates rode out of their skin from the start of the stage to the finish. The guys were incredible, every single one of them, and that makes it even more special."”
Ambitions at the Giro: "We came here wanting to win every sprint, and so far, we’ve done it convincingly, leading the peloton from start to finish. Everyone worked to bring the breakaway back. Geert Steegmans was really controlled in the final part. In these difficult conditions, it is easy to get carried away too soon, but today our timing was perfect."
How has life changed for you? "Today, if I do anything except win, it is regarded as losing. That’s how things have changed. I no longer win races, I lose them. That changes my perception of things and it changes my team’s perception of things. But I guess it’s part of parcel of success."
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa:
Today’s stage: "We were warned that the descent (Montello) today was going to be bad, so we took special care. Then, after the descent, Omega took charge of the stage and gave chase all the way to the finish."
Wiggins in difficulty: "I can only think of myself, of recovering and keeping my health. Aru and Tiralongo are both much better, although today Vanotti and Gruzdev worked hard to keep me in the leading position."
Other rivals: "I have to keep an eye on Urán who is riding very well. The general classification is still very bunched with Evans very close. Scarponi too is riding well."
Wiggins struggled on today's stage. Dave Brailsford said afterwards, "Brad developed a head cold and a chest infection and has been on antibiotics. His illness has got progressively worse and we knew ahead of the race this morning it was going to be tough for him to get through the stage. When you see a rider of Bradley Wiggins’ calibre struggling to hold the wheel in front of him on the flat you know that he’s ill. When you’re ill you’re ill and all you can do is your best to try and manage that illness. I think he showed great courage to battle through the stage to the finish. Now we’ll get back to the hotel and the team doctor will assess him overnight and then we’ll take a decision about whether Brad continues, health-permitting, in the morning.”
Wiggins has now dropped to 13th on GC and 0:05:22 back of Nibali. Sky will now switch to supporting Rigoberto Uran who is 3rd on GC, only 0:02:04 behind Nibali.
Stage 12 highlights:
Top 10 Stage 12:
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:01:47
2 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ
3 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano
4 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack Leopard
5 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
6 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale
7 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
8 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
9 Ioannis Tamouridis (Gre) Euskaltel-Euskadi
10 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 46:28:14
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:41
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:02:04
4 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:02:12
5 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:02:13
6 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:02:55
7 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:03:35
8 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:05
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:04:17
10 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:04:21
11 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:05:06
12 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:05:08
13 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:05:22
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
Tomorrow: 254 km from Busseto to Cherasco. Scattered showers predicted. Could be another stage for Cavendish if he makes it over the hills at the end.
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