Giro d’Italia 2023: Start of Stage 13 start delayed and route changed due to bad weather as riders express concerns

Updated 20/05/2023 at 11:03 GMT

The Giro d'Italia continues to be dogged by bad weather and the start of Stage 13 has been delayed due to torrential rain. Stage 13 is a serious mountain test, with a summit finish at Crans Montana. Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic are separated by just two seconds in the general classification heading into Friday's stage. Those two are expected to be prominent at the finish.

Giro d’Italia Stage 13 profile and route map: Borgofranco d’Ivrea - Crans Montana

Bad weather at Borgofranco d’Ivrea has led to the start of Stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia being delayed and the route changed.

The opening Grand Tour of the season has been plagued by poor weather, as has large parts of Italy which led to the cancellation of the Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday.

Stage 13 is the first serious mountain test of the race, with a summit finish at Crans Montana.

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Race organisers had already made a change to the route, taking out one of the climbs due to the threat of snow.

Rain was forecast, and the riders woke up to torrential downpours - which led to a delayed start. The race will now start at 13:30 UK time.

Astana posted a video of the torrential conditions heading to the start of the stage.

Meetings took place where a range of options were put forward.

Following the discussions, Giro organisers elected to trim the route - albeit they will take in the two big climbs of the Croix de Coeur and summit finish at Crans Montana.

Riders will roll out from Borgofranco d’Ivrea as normal and ride 200 metres before returning to their team's buses.

The teams will change into clothes before travelling to Le Chable where the race will get underway.

It will be a shortened stage, but likely an explosive one as they will ascend Croix de Coeur and Crans Montana.

There were concerns, as reported by Eurosport’s Orla Chennaoui, about the climb and descent of the Croix de Coeur but the weather forecast suggests it is dry and sunny there.

The stage will start without Mads Pedersen, with the Trek-Segafredo rider withdrawing due to illness.

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) will roll out of Borgofranco d’Ivrea in the maglia rosa, two seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma).

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