Giro d'Italia 2013 Stage 19 The Road to Nowhere

I haven't had time to catch up with stage 17 and 18 fully yet and write them up, I hope to do that later.

However, the news about stage 19 today first of all last night was that the original route

was that both the Passo Gavia and Passo di Stelvio, the first two on the route were going to be impassable because of snow. So a revised route was produced. Although there were still weather reports that the route tomorrow could still have temperatures as low as -14 Celsius.

But even this with the summit now as the high point of the race route was deemed to be unrideable this morning so the Giro racers have an unexpected third rest day.

But there is more, tomorrow's final mountain stage has also be revised.

The second category Passo Costulunga and Passo di San Pellegrino have been removed along with the first category Cortina d'Amprezzo. This could be good news for Mark Cavendish on two counts. Both the intermediate sprints are now potentially achievable for him in the peleton, but also there is every chance that a large group will reach the finish possibly limiting the number of points that Cadel Evans could take at the finish. It sets it up for the Manxman for the flat run into Brescia on Sunday to potentially still be in the red jersey, but even it not, he won't be too far behind Evans and going out on a win on the last stage would certainly seal it for him. After his disappointment of going into pain on Stage 17 trailing in less than 100 seconds down on the Maglia Rosa and only 1'37" behind Giovanni Visconti, but out of the points, it may be a relief.