Giro d'Italia 2023: Einer Rubio wins chaotic and shortened Stage 13 after thrilling Thibaut Pinot attacks

Emotions ran high in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana as Colombia’s Einer Rubio (Movistar) dug deep and kept a low profile on the final climb of a shortened Stage 13 of the Giro before catching out his fellow escapees Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) with a magical turn of pace at the finish. French veteran Pinot and Ecuador’s Cepeda tore strips off each other and bickered incessantly during a thrilling final ascent, trading more blows than 10 rounds between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed.

But Rubio ignored the circus and kept his own tempo to ride back in contention before leaving both riders with egg on their faces in a dramatic conclusion to a stage that almost never happened. Ad Heavy rain and flash flooding in the Italian Alps caused the scheduled first climb – the San Bernardo pass – to be pulled from the profile.

Instead, the riders were taken by bus to the foot of the Croix de Coeur climb for a 75km stage which sizzled from the outset and, perhaps, provided more drama than the initial 199km parcours may have dished up. Giro d'Italia'We're just going for the stage!' — Pinot's team on Stage 13 strategyAN HOUR AGO Rubio, Pinot and Cepeda were the last men standing of an initial seven-man group which at one point had a gap of four minutes over the peloton – putting Pinot within touching distance of the pink jersey.

At the end of an emotionally draining and perhaps psychologically damaging day for the French veteran, Pinot – whose relentless attacks lit up the final ascent and delighted his huge fan following – ended up not with pink, but back in the blue jersey he conceded last week at Gran Sasso. Britain’s Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) chalked off another day as the