Giro d'Italia Stage 13 Busseto - Cherasco

Sorry I didn't get around to reviewing yesterday's stage.

So in review of the last two day. Stage 11 saw a breakaway stay away with the remaining riders of the group trailing in behind. All the main GC contenders were there except Ryder Hesjedal who struggled on the first of the categorised climbs.

Yesterday was a flat stage set up for a sprint finish. But with the weather things would probably have been easier on two water skis than two wheels. It was torrential rain and Bradley Wiggins had said before the start that he was suffering from a cold and chest infection (the weather of this Giro has been far from ideal). He was actually struggling to keep up on a flat stage and in the end recorded a time that was 3'17" behind the winner.

The winner however was someone recording his 100th professional win, his 13th in the Giro, and back into the red points jersey. The Omega Pharma-Quick Step team gave him the perfect lead out in the wet conditions. First capturing the breakaway in the final 500m , then allowing the Manx Missile to cross the line with several bike lengths gap to anyone else.

Today's stage is officially listed as flat. Though I have my doubts that the sprinters will all be there at the end.There reason for this is firstly the 3ed category climb of Tre Cuni 37km from the finish, but there there is the uncategorised kick up the Ponte sul Tanaro 7.5km from the end.

Of course the sprinters have also managed to gain some sort of mountain legs to have got over the big climbs at the start of the week inside the time limit so there is a possibility that some of you typical climbers may hang on, but I don't think the man in the red jersey will do so. If I have got that wrong and the Manx Missile has made it to the final km in touch with the group the form he is in makes it hard to look for anyone else.

However, this stage is one I think that will go to one of the rouleurs rather than the sprinters. One of the guys with the power to get over the hill and the speed and determination to sprint it out for line honours at the end.