Giro d’Italia stage 13 LIVE: Fifteen-man break allowed large gap by the peloton

10:19 is the gap as Bahrain lead the peloton, four domestiques pulling for Afonso Eulálio.

2026-05-22T13:32:37.874Z

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2026-05-22T13:31:51.608Z

The gap’s grown out to over ten minutes for the first today, and one of the first times this whole Giro.

2026-05-22T13:28:42.553Z

Toon Aerts is a dangerous man in the event of a group finish. The Belgian would have won the stage yesterday had Segaert not managed to slip away in the finale as he sprinted for second-place, and today has got himself in the break once again.

The gap’s holding steady, at 9:45. There’s still about 40km until the first of the two climbs, though the road is going slightly uphill and will continue so for a while.

2026-05-22T13:21:17.901Z

UAE have been the most successful team in terms of stage wins at this Giro so far, and, having done so much work to help his teammates win previously, today it’s down to Mikkel Bjerg to try and add a fifth. He has one hell of a motor, and will surely try to clip clear at some point and attempt to win solo.

2026-05-22T13:20:26.469Z

One of the breakaway riders, Francesco Busatto, has needed a bike change.

2026-05-22T13:17:02.841Z

So which of the fifteen riders in the break is best equipped to come out on top and take the stage win today?

With classics, Grand Tour stages and a monument on his palmares Jasper Stuyven is perhaps the best record of them, but he has yet to win a stage at the Giro despite having come so close with a second place finish behind Ballerini in Naples earlier this race. On paper he may well be the quickest in a sprint, but will the stage be decided that way or can rider(s) break clear?

Bahrain Victorious are happy to lead the peloton at a steady pace, allowing the gap to grow a little more, to 9:45.

2026-05-22T13:06:40.679Z

9:20 is the break’s lead now.

2026-05-22T12:53:44.502Z

One team that will be frustrated at missing out on the break will be Lidl-Trek. They’re still without a stage win at this Giro, and today’s late climbs looked like they could have been a perfect launchpad for their man Ciccone. After last year’s superb race in which they seemed to light up every stage, they’re now starting to run out of time to get anything out of this race.

Still the gap grows. It’s now up to nine minutes. That puts Kilech to within sight of the top 20 on GC.

2026-05-22T12:45:09.501Z

Damiano Caruso is one of the Bahrain riders tasked with looking after Afonso Eulálio in the Maglia Rosa. He said yesterday that he still intends to retire at the end of the season, but hopes to ride the Tour de France one last time before then.

2026-05-22T12:43:52.505Z

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This is one of the biggest gaps we’ve seen all Giro. It’s now gone up to over eight minutes.

2026-05-22T12:32:11.074Z

There’s a long flat section for the riders to enjoy, but in such a big group, at some point hostilities will ignite in the lead group as they begin the battle of wits and stength to try and plot a way to win defeat the other 14 and win the stage.

2026-05-22T12:26:56.936Z

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The peloton has allowed the breakaway a huge lead. They’re now 7 minutes up the road, and surely won’t be caught.

2026-05-22T12:20:53.981Z

Eulálio’s happy again now, and is back in the bunch.

2026-05-22T12:20:32.446Z

Eulálio is unhappy with something. He’s with his team car having a talk, sorting an issue with his shoe

2026-05-22T12:14:35.072Z

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2026-05-22T12:11:01.573Z

Bahrain-Victorious have taken over the pace-setting in the peloton and are riding tempo.

The gap to the peloton and the fifteen leaders continues to grow. It’s now up to 5:20.

2026-05-22T12:08:28.062Z

NSN have stopped chasing, and the gap to the break has consequently ballooned up to almost five minutes. This is looking very promising for this break’s chances of surviving to the finish.

2026-05-22T12:06:52.155Z

Josh Kench is the highest ranked rider on GC in the break, and he’s down in 27th overall at 20:50. So there’s no need for the GC teams to chase.

2026-05-22T12:04:31.472Z

Eleven teams are represented in this break, which means that twelve teams have missed the move. Although it is a big group full of strong riders, it isn’t guaranteed to make it to the finish, if there are enough teams willing to help NSN to bring it back.

2026-05-22T12:02:01.131Z

The fifteen riders in full:

Jasper Stuyven (Soudal-QuickStep), Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Michael Valgren (EF Education-Easypost), Andreas Leknessund, Markus Hoelgaard (both Uno-X Mobility), Toon Aerts (Lotto Intermarché), Larry Warbasse (Tudor), Johan Jacobs, Axel Huens, Josh Kench (all Groupama-FDJ), Francesco Busatto (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Mark Donovan (Pinarello Q36.5), Mirco Maestri, Diego Pablo Sevilla (both Polti VisitMalta)

2026-05-22T12:01:40.213Z

The groups have at last come together, so we now have our full break of the day.

2026-05-22T11:58:36.248Z

Meanwhile the chasing quartet can now see the leaders and are only 15 seconds behind. They’ll make the catch soon.

2026-05-22T11:58:00.935Z

Mullen might be trying to ride hard, but he’s not bringing the leaders any closer. They have 3:30 on the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:54:37.572Z

Leemreize was on a hiding to nothing, and has been caught.

2026-05-22T11:53:53.948Z

The peloton hasn’t sat up, though. Team NSN are setting a pace with Mullen, having missed the move.

2026-05-22T11:53:18.387Z

The chase group has 30 seconds to make up on the leaders, but are a whole three minutes up on the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:50:36.557Z

Now we wait to see if the chasing four can join them.

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The chasing five have caught the leading six.

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The 6 riders leading the race.

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2026-05-22T11:48:41.315Z

So the peloton has sat up now, but how long will it take for these two chase groups to join the leaders?

These chase groups are having a hard time bridging up to the lead group. The first chase group is still 30 seconds behind and the second chase group 50 seconds behind, while the peloton is at over three minutes now.

2026-05-22T11:44:58.202Z

Another group formed unseen behind the two lead groups and ahead of Gijs Leemreize, containing Aaerts, Kench, Huens and Hoelgaard.

2026-05-22T11:41:53.832Z

This does appear to be it though. The gaps are growing, with the leaders 1:40 ahead, and the chase group 1:10 ahead.

2026-05-22T11:41:06.352Z

There are still some riders unhappy, and Gijs Leemreize jumps out of the peloton to chase.

2026-05-22T11:39:29.037Z

This might be it now though, the pace is down in the peloton, which is now bunching together.

2026-05-22T11:38:52.875Z

Ganna and Turner have been caught, but the peloton had to go deep to do so, and is now all stretched out.

2026-05-22T11:35:57.065Z

Despite the increasing gap, Ganna isn’t giving up! He’s just attacked out of the peloton with Turner.

The 7-man lead group is now a 6-man lead group, as Rojas has been dropped out of it. They lead the chase group of 5 by 25 seconds, and neaarly have a minute on the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:33:49.191Z

Now Sean Flynn tries an attack. There seems to be a desire in the peloton though for the riders already up the road to form the break, and for no other riders to go clear and join them.

2026-05-22T11:31:21.703Z

Mick van Dijke tried an attack out the peloton but wasn’t allowed to go clear, now Corbin Strong is.

2026-05-22T11:29:48.301Z

The Bjerg group is 20 seconds behind the leading seven, and 15 seconds ahead of the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:29:13.193Z

Correction – Bjerg, Stuyven and Bettiol are with Maestri and Busatto in a group behind the leading seven. The big group of 20 behind have been caught by the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:27:55.184Z

Eulálio is backin the peloton.

2026-05-22T11:27:10.484Z

Bjerg, Stuyven and Bettiol are among those in this group.

2026-05-22T11:26:37.293Z

Those groups have come together, so there are now about 20 riders together trying to chase the 7 leaders.

2026-05-22T11:24:44.801Z

Not one but two different chase groups have formed behind the leading seven.

2026-05-22T11:23:07.687Z

Ganna attacks out of the peloton again. The Italian is really up for it today, on a stage that visits his home town.

2026-05-22T11:22:00.956Z

Flat tyre for Afonso Eulálio. The pink jersey has needed to change bikes.

The seven leaders have some work to do to establish themselves as the break of the day, with their lead still only a slender 10 seconds.

2026-05-22T11:19:39.970Z

The Ganna group has been caught.

2026-05-22T11:19:19.181Z

Jacobs, Donovan and Sevilla are the other three riders in the lead group of seven.

2026-05-22T11:17:00.837Z

Now a chase group has formed, an Ganna is present in it.

2026-05-22T11:15:21.046Z

As well as Leknessund, Warbasse, Valgren and Rojas are there, plus three others.

2026-05-22T11:14:33.459Z

Their lead’s up to 10 seconds now.

2026-05-22T11:12:46.918Z

Seven new riders form a group, including Leknessund, and have a few seconds of a lead.

Milan had a few riders with him, but they’ve been brought back.

2026-05-22T11:10:24.575Z

Milan is the latest tot try a move, and for once doesn’t have Magnier glued to his wheel.

2026-05-22T11:07:51.747Z

Bjerg is looking especially keen, and is doing some big pulls to try and go clear.

2026-05-22T11:06:14.615Z

Lots of attacks right from the flag but nobody has managed to get a gap yet.

And they’re off!

2026-05-22T11:03:53.880Z

It’s a narrow road as they reach KM 0, so not much room to make an attack.

2026-05-22T10:59:17.134Z

Just 2km now until the riders see the flag for the official start.

2026-05-22T10:57:50.234Z

2026-05-22T10:37:52.435Z

And perhaps even a GC day? The final climb is both steep enough and near enough to the finish to potentially provide a launchpad for someone seeking to gain some valuable seconds; especially if the breakaway is caught by then, in which case the bonus seconds available on offer at the foot of the climb at the Red Bull KM would also come into play

2026-05-22T10:35:01.964Z

That means that, despite the long stretch of flat kilometres, this is set to be another exciting day, with many riders desperate to get into the breakaway.

2026-05-22T10:33:59.517Z

Were it not for the final 25km, this would have been unambiguously a stage for the Giro. But rarely wishing for anything straightforward, the organisers have included two late climbs blow this race open for all other kinds of riders, from breakaway specialists who will try and get into a move at the start of the day, puncheurs who might try an attack on them, or even GC riders who might spy an opportunity to gain some time.

2026-05-22T10:28:42.815Z

Hello and welcome to stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia!