Emphatic Bettiol blasts to breakaway victory on Giro stage 13

Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana) soloed to victory from the breakaway on stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia in Verbania with a powerful performance ahead of Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) and Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step).

Bettiol was part of a 15-rider breakaway that built an advantage of over 10 minutes on the peloton and contested a finale which featured two categorised climbs. 

Groupama-FDJ United had the most representation in the break, as well as the highest-placed rider in the GC, Josh Kench from New Zealand. 

The French team took control of setting the tempo in the finale before Kench launched his attack on the category 3 Ungiasca climb with just over 15km to go. 

However, it was Bettiol who proved to be the strongest on the climb, catching and ripping past Leknessund, who had countered Kench, in the closing metres of the climb. 

Bettiol then soloed his way to the finish to take his first victory in the colours of XDS Astana and first since becoming Italian champion back in June 2024. 

It also marks the second stage victory in the career of Bettiol, who won stage 18 back in 2021, and the Kazakhstan team’s third win of this year’s race after Guillermo Thomas Silva on stage 2 and Davide Ballerini on stage 6.

In the early stages, Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) was among the protagonists in the breakaway formation. The Italian wouldn’t make the front selection, with two groups forming to make the day’s breakaway. 

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

The Kiwi Kench was the highest placed rider in the GC, starting the stage 20:50 behind the maglia rosa. As a result, it became clear pretty soon that this would be a day contested by the breakaway, with their advantage rising above the ten-minute mark as the GC teams let it go.

Groupama-FDJ United set a strong tempo on the penultimate climb to Bieno for Kench. The pace deterred any attacks, but nobody was dropped.

The French team ramped into the base of the final climb to Ungiasca, where Jacobs pulled off the front, leaving Huens to deliver the final leadout for what looked like an impending attack from Kench. 

Bjerg and Warbasse were distanced with 16.1km remaining, before Kench made his move with 15.8km remaining. Bettiol, Stuyven and Leknessund were the riders able to immediately follow the Kiwi. 

Kench continued to try to burn the opposition off his wheel, but it was Leknessund who launched a counterattack with 14.8km to go. The Norwegian champion opened a gap on Bettiol, who himself had distanced Kench and Valgren. 

The gap between the duo on the steep ramps was just metres, but Leknessund fought tooth and nail to keep Bettiol at bay. However, with under 200 metres of the climb remaining, Bettiol, timing his effort to perfection, punched past Leknessund and opened a significant gap. 

With a descent and flat run-in, Bettiol was well on his way to his second Giro stage win.