Cavendish takes another Stage win for Stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia from Lido di Camaiore to Florence. As predicted, the Englishman Mark Cavendish, of Team Columbia, was a top contender for the 176km Stage along with sprint rival Alessandro Petacchi of LPR Brakes.
Pushing an average speed of 46kmh, the stage was fast with strong teamwork from Garmin and Team Columbia playing an obvious role in bring back a brake away group of three, Leonardo Scarselli (ISD), Bjorn Schroder (Milram) and Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha). While the break away held a strong lead and the German Milram rider, Schroder, left the other two behind and was a contender for the stage win. The Peloton push hard with Team Garmin trying to position Tyler Farrar in the front in the final kilometres.
Team Columbia countered and brought Cavendish to the front towards the final straight who powered taking line victory closely followed by Petacchi and the Australian Allan Davis of Quickstep.
While there are no major surprises in the General Classifications, the excitment is building. Tomorrow, Stage 14 is a 172km mountainous stage from Campi Bisenzio to Bologna with 5 climbs.
Top Ten Results on Stage 13
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia – Highroad 3.48.36 (45.931 km/h)
2 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
3 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
4 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
5 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
6 Juan Jos? Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
7 Robert Forster (Ger) Team Milram
8 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Katusha
9 Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
10 S?bastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
General Classification after Stage 13
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 54.16.00
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini .34
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana .40
4 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 2.00
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
6 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 3.00
7 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
8 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 4.00
9 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C. 5.00
10 Thomas L?vkvist (Swe) Team Columbia – Highroad
