2026 Giro d'Italia Stage 13 Results & Recap
Stage 13 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
XDS Astana Team's great race got even better when Alberto Bettiol (XAT) soloed into Verbania to claim the Kazakh team's third victory in this Giro. One of 15 riders who came together in the break after a frantic opening hour, Bettiol attacked on the final steep ramp of the cat 3 Ungiasca climb and swept into the finish 26 seconds ahead of Andreas Leknessund (UXM), while Jasper Stuyven (SOQ) was quickest in the four-man group that contested third place.
Run primarily on flat roads and with a tailwind as a further boost, the stage began with almost every team trying to place a rider in the break. Vicente Rojas (BCS) began the successful move, only to be dropped after Leknessund, Johan Jacobs (GFC), Michael Valgren (EFE), Diego Pablo Sevilla (PTV), Mark Donovan (PQT) and Lawrence Warbasse (TUD) joined him.
Battle raged behind these six, with Filippo Ganna (IGD) particularly prominent racing towards the finish in his home town. Bettiol, Stuyven, Francesco Busatto (APT), Mirco Maestri (PTV) and Mikkel Bjerg (UAD) eventually bridged up, followed a few kilometers later by Axel Huens (GFC), Joshua Kench (GFC), Markus Hoelgaard (UXM) and Toon Aerts (LOI).
With none of the breakaways close to the top 10 on GC, the peloton eased up and let the gap grow and keep growing. By the time the break had reached the bottom of the cat 4 Bieno climb, 25km from the finish, its lead was 11'42".
The break stayed together over that climb, hostilities delayed until the much harder Ungiasca arrived. Jacobs and then Huens set the pace initially for teammate Kench, who attacked halfway up, with only Leknessund, Bettiol and Valgren able to follow.
As it steepened, Leknessund attacked, Bettiol chasing a couple of seconds behind the Norwegian until the steepest section near the very top. Here, the Italian stood on the pedals for the first time and delivered an acceleration that left Leknessund for dust.
Bettiol's only moment of concern came when he hit a speed bump full gas and his back wheel lifted off the road. He finished alone, embraced at the line by his delighted girlfriend, who, like Ganna, hails from Verbania.
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