On the Scene for Stages 13 and 15 of the Giro d’Italia

After a week of sprint stages and a rainy time trial, we finally got a perfect day in the mountains for stage 13 of the Giro, at Lago Serru. From the stage headquarters, which was 15 kilometers down the final climb, we were taken up by shuttle to the shuttle to the finish. I got up there with plenty of time to scope out some good vantage points. The view at the finish line was pretty nice, but I walked down a few hundred meters and found a spot where I could see the road snaking down below.

I ran into this guy on my way down:

I got my first glimpse of stage winner Ilnur Zakarin when he was more than a kilometer from the finish, then saw him again at the 900-meter mark, 500, 400, 350, and when he passed me on the road at about the 250-meter mark.

Mikel Nieve followed about 30 seconds later.

Next came Landa, passing the 400-meter mark as Carapaz and Mollema passed the 500 mark below.

Roglic and Nibali rounded the final hairpin and rode to the finish together.

The walls of snow on the sides of the road made for dramatic images, and provided great vantage points for those willing to do a bit of scrambling.

Two days later, on a warm afternoon on the shores of Lake Como, it was a day for the breakaway, as Dario Cataldo outsprinted Mattia Cattaneo for the stage win.

Close behind were Yates, Carthy, Carapaz, and Nibali.

Next, Lopez charged for the line in a group with Majka, Pozzovivo, Landa, and Formolo.

On the podium, Cataldo wore a beatific smile, and Carapaz enjoyed his second maglia rosa ceremony.