Good morning and a warm welcome to today's Cycling Weekly live blog, where I, Tom Thewlis, will be bringing you all of the essential news in the world of cycling.
I'll also be taking you through stage ten of the Giro d'Italia from Scandiano to Viareggio.
The first half of today's stage will see the riders take on a couple of climbs. Once the climbing is out of the way, it's a relatively flat and undulating run in to the finish.
Geraint Thomas will be wearing the leaders pink jersey today after Remco Evenepoel left the race on Sunday due to a positive Covid test.
You can check out the stage ten route in more detail in our Giro route analysis.
Are you planning on tuning into the Giro today? Find out how you can catch all the action in our how to watch guide.
Key updates (BST)
- 10:45am: Intermarché-Circus-Wanty pull two riders from Giro due to illness
- 10:58am: Dominico Pozzovivo out due to Covid
- 11:26am: Stage gets underway in driving rain
- 13:23pm: Aleksandr Vlasov abandons due to sickness
- 13:53pm: Four man breakaway up the road
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty pull Bystrøm and Taaramäe from Giro due to sickness
Sven Erik Bystrøm of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty will not start today's stage due to being positive for Covid-19.
The Norwegian is now the seventh rider to leave the Giro due to contracting the virus.
A brief announcement shared on Twitter by Bystrøm's team confirmed the news this morning and said the Norwegian had been pulled from the race to "preserve his health".
Bystrøm was initially due to ride on despite his positive test result, although according to Intermarché he developed symptoms over night hence the decision to pull him from the race.
Remco Evenepoel and Rigoberto Urán both withdrew from the race on Sunday after both testing positive. Evenepoel had only just won stage nine, reclaiming the leaders pink jersey in the process, when the news broke that Soudal Quick-Step would be withdrawing him from the race.
Bystrøm is not the only DNS for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty this morning. Along with the news of the Norwegian's Covid symptoms, the Belgian team also announced on Twitter that Rein Taaramäe would be leaving the race due to stomach problems.
Sven Erik Bystrøm will not start stage 10 of the #Giro.As a reminder, Bystrøm received the green lights from the medical teams of the UCI & RCS to continue the race after testing positive for COVID, in absence of symptoms and in accordance to the UCI protocol. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/4dPZ4SfJqYMay 16, 2023
Pozzovivo and Schmidt both out of Giro for Israel-Premier Tech
Just as I set this page up, more riders have been pulled out the race due to illness.
Israel-Premier Tech has announced that both Dominoco Pozzovivo and Mads Würtz Schmidt won't start the stage today. Pozzovivo tested positive for Covid this morning, and Schmidt has been suffering with another unnamed illness.
With Pozzovivo now out, I make that nine riders out due to Covid.
Unfortunately, Domenico Pozzovivo and Mads Würtz Schmidt won’t take the start of stage 10 today.Domenico tested positive for Covid this morning. Mads has returned negative tests but hasn’t been feeling well since yesterday and isn’t in a position to start. __🇮🇹 #GiroMay 16, 2023
Stage ten possibly to be shortened due to bad weather
The riders are currently rolling through the long neutralised start to today's stage, and poor weather at the top of the day's main climb, the Passo Delle Radici, could see the stage shortened. It's reportedly minus two with high winds at the top of the climb.
We're underway!
194km to go: The flag has been dropped and we're officially underway.
Once again the weather looks awful and riders are decked head to toe in wet weather gear.
Charlie Quarterman (Corratec) is straight out of the bunch and on the attack, looking to form a breakaway.
192km to go: There's several strong puncheurs getting well and truly amongst it here.
Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AIUla), Alberto Bettiol (EF Education_EasyPost) and Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) are all trying to get something established.
190km to go: Here's what Adam Hansen, the president of the CPA, had to say on the debate around the weather earlier:
#giro To confirm, Stage 10 of the #Giro @giroditalia is under talks of making the stage shorter due to 3 degrees and rain at the top of the climb. 80km/h Gusty winds is predicted also at the top, plus landslides I head too. All stakeholders are there. The riders choice was to…May 16, 2023
190km to go: it's all go in the rain! Mattia Cattaneo and Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) have both been at the forefront of the action as it looks like the day's breakaway is beginning to finally establish itself.
I'll have the full list of names up the road in a moment.
After Remco Evenepoel's withdrawal on Sunday, Geraint Thomas is in the leaders pink jersey today.
Here's what he said at the start of today's stage:
"Luckily it's stopped raining for now, so I might be able to show it off a bit. I'll just try to keep warm because it's going to be a hard day.
"It's a completely different race for us now this week and so a different approach. It's always a boost in the team to get a jersey and it's a massive honour for myself, it's the first time I have the pink jersey. I'm looking forward to it."
183km to go: So we have a break of five riders up the road.
They are Matteo Cattaneo and Louis Vervaeke both of Soudal Quick-Step, Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), Aleesandro De Marchi (Jayco-AIUla) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek-Segafredo).
The quintet have about 15 seconds on the peloton at the moment, several other riders keep attempting to bridge across.
181km to go: Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) is driving the pace on the front of the peloton at the moment.
Meanwhile Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) is out the back of the main field.
179km to go: After initial reports that team buses were instructed to follow the peloton, rather than head off course for a quick dash to the finish, new reports filtered through a moment ago that they have now been instructed to join the regular 'off-course' route to the finish in Viareggio.
There were initial suggestions that the riders could climb onto the buses for the day's main climb due to the weather, although the stage is now being raced a normal.
176km to go: Gee and De Marchi have both attacked and disappeared up the road. They're both really pushing on.
The remnants of the initial breakaway were swallowed up, several other riders have now formed a new chasing group including Davide Formolo of UAE Team Emirates.
176km to go: That's all come to nothing though! All of the chasers have been caught, so we have just Gee and De Marchi up the road.
They have 33 seconds on the bunch at the moment.
174km to go: Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) has just launched a pwoerful acceleration from the main field.
If anyone is capable of bridging across to Gee and De Marchi, it's definitely him.
172km to go: Tao Geoghegan Hart just managed to sneak across into the chasing group there.
Looked like things could suddenly get pretty interesting for a moment, but that's been quickly stamped out by the peloton.
There was no way Jumbo-Visma would have allowed him to get a gap.
169km to go: More bad news filtering through... it just seems endless at the moment at this Giro.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) was seen off the back of the main field earlier, we've just heard that Bora have just confirmed that Vlasov is suffering with sickness.
We don't know what sickness it is is yet though.
Vlasov is currently sixth on GC. Not great for Bora or the race at all.
167km to go: While it's all been kicking off in the main field, Gee and De Marchi have managed to build a gap of more than two and a half minutes.
I caught up with Jumbo-Visma's Tom Gloag last night at the end of the first rest day.
Gloag told me that he's also suffered with sickness earlier in the race.
The freezing, wet weather won't be helping the riders that's for sure.
160km to go: Cort is somewhere in no man's land between the rbeak and the bunch along with Eolo-Kometa's Davide Bais who is leading the mountains classification.
Gee and De Marchi can't really afford to ease up, although having an engine like Cort with them could certainly aid their advantage.
158km to go: Gee and De Marchi have three minutes 18 seconds over the bunch now as they approach the first intermediate sprint point of the day.
153km to go: The rain is absoltuely lashing down whichc ertainly won't help poor old Aleksandr Vlasov at the back of the main field.
While we wait for further updates on Vlasov's health, have a read of my colleague Adam's latest piece on the ongoing issues with Covid at the Giro.
153km to go: Gee and De Marchi's gap has gone up to three minutes 44 seconds.
Back down the road Movistar are driving the pace on the front of the main field. Perhaps Fernando Gaviria is feeling particularly good today.
152km to go: With the weather like this, you get the feeling that the majority of the riders will just want to get today out of the way at all costs.
Gee and De Marchi's lead is gradually rising, the duo are working really well together here.
151km to go: Bais and Cort are 28 seconds back down the road from Gee and De Marchi.
Hello! Adam Becket here while Tom just goes and gets some lunch. It is sunnier in southwest England than in Italy, which is something
148km to go: Cort and Bais have joined up with Gee and De Marchi, so there is some serious power up the road. The four of them currently have 3-52 on the peloton.
Stage 13 shortened due to heavy snowfall
Stage 13 of the Giro will not go over the Passo del Gran San Bernardo because of heavy snowfall, the race's organisers have said.
"Given the exceptional snowfall, and in the light of the avalanche danger, it is announced that the race will not pass over the Great St. Bernard Pass, but through the tunnel," Tuesday's press release reads.
"The Cima Coppi will be moved to the finish at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo [stage 19]. The Gran San Bernardo remains a 1 st category climb, and points will be awarded accordingly. As a result of this change, the stage will have a length of 199 km."
145km to go: The break did not contest the intermediate sprint, with Bais rolling across in front.
However, behind, the maglia ciclamino contenders did go for the points that were left. Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) outsprinted Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) in Villa Minozzo, with Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) following behind.
Milan now leads the competition over Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) by 17 points.
140km to go: Not to overstate this, but it looks grim in Emilia Romagna. The rain is falling, the temperatures are not high. Let's hope everyone stays upright. Here's a photo of your break.
137km to go: Movistar are still riding at the front. It's wet. No change. The break has 4-10.
What's everyone having for lunch? @ me on Twitter - @adambecket.
136km to go: Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) back in the bunch. Good for him, hope he's alright.
130km to go: There is still 30km to go to the top of the Passo delle Radici for the break, which has 4-12 over the peloton. I wouldn't even be looking forward to the descent in this weather.
127km to go: A change! DSM are on the front. Now that's a thrill.
Aleksandr Vlasov abandons Giro d'Italia
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) has abandoned the Giro d'Italia. We reported earlier that the Russian was out the back of the race due to feeling ill, and now he has pulled out. We will let you know what was behind the abandonment when his team shares it.
He was sixth on general classification, so there will be another reshuffle in the top 10.
122km to go: The gap is 4-30 between the escaped quartet and the peloton. Speaking of the break, Davide Bais has briefly been distanced, but he looks like he is getting back on.
121km to go: Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) is changing his rain jacket, exciting. He has put a short-sleeved one on first and another one over the top. All with no hands, easy.
Michael Schär to retire at the end of the year
Away from the Giro d'Italia, Michael Schär is to retire at the end of the year, AG2R Citroën announced this afternoon. It is no great surprise, considering that the 36-year-old has ridden with Greg Van Avermaet since 2011, who is also due to retire at the end of the season.
One of the nicest guys in the peloton, chapeau to Schär on a lengthy career.
118km to go: The break's gap is climbing, now up to 4-45.
Right, that's me, Adam, off. Enjoy the rest of the wet stage everybody!
115km to go: Hello! Tom here, back from lunch.
I'm glad to say the sun is out here unlike on the road to Viareggio. I've had a flat white and a halloumi salad, so I'm ready to go again.
I'll be taking you all the way through to the finish now later this afternoon.
The break have just under five minutes on the peloton now, Magnus Cort is currently on the front taking a really big turn.
Will the break make it all the way to the finish?! You can let me know what you think on Twitter - @thewlistt
112km to go: Derek Gee has just taken a feed back from a soigneur at the side of the road, ditching his rain jacket in the process.
The Canadian pulled a nice dry one straight out of the bag along with a bit of food. Keeping warm and well fuelled is absolutely crucial on a day like today.
109km to go: The breakaway are nearing the summit of the Passo delle Radici. Ineos, Jumbo and UAE are trying to take control of the front of the peloton behind them.
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Gaviria (Movistar) are hanging on for dear life at the back.
107km to go: Geraint Thomas has just had a bike change ahead of the descent. Laurens De Plus, his teammate, is admirably controlling the front of the peloton and pushing on through the rain.
It is so so grim out there.
106km to go: We've just had a shot of Mark Cavendish going out the back of the main field.... not a huge surprise really.
103km to go: Bais took the 18 points on offer at the top of today's climb in the mountains classification to extend his lead.
I'll give you a further update on that shortly.
97km to go: I really hate cycling in the rain, so really feel for the riders out there on the road today.
I can't think of anything worse on the bike than when your hands get so cold that you can't feel them.
Plenty of the guys in the bunch are swinging their arms around frantically trying to get the blood flowing again.
94km to go: Not good! We've just seen Fernando Gaviria on the deck. It really hasn't been the Movistar rider's day today.
92km to go: We've lost Bais at the front of the race. It's now just Gee, Cort and De Marchi in the breakaway as the descent continues.
Bais will have been happy just to take maximum points at the top of the climb, he can now chill out and wait for the peloton if he needs to.
90km to go: Bahrain Victorious have suddenly attacked on the descent! Andrea Pasqualon, Jonathan Milan and Caruso.
Pavel Sivakov has latched onto the back of the Bahrain Trio for Ineos.
A brave decision going for it on a descent this wet.
86km to go: Pretty brave of the likes of Caruso to go for it today! One slight mistake on this descent and you'll be on the floor.
To think this stage was very nearly neutralised until 70km to go due to the weather!
82km to go: Here's a photo of some of the Bahrain guys before they launched their move.
Race on!
79km to go: Intermarché-Circus-Wanty have sent Lorenzo Rota over to the chasing group.
Looks like there is a small gap to Sivakov, he's dropping away from that group led by Caruso.
Caruso has just gesticulated to Pasqualon urging him to crack on, they'll be keen to shake the Ineos man here.
77km to go: There was a nasty looking crash on the bottom of the descent there.
Will Barta (Movistar) and Jay Vine (UAE Emirates) were the two men involved. It looked like they had careered into the side of a house, Barta's bike is in a bit of a mess and has a snapped fork.
Fingers crossed the duo aren't hurt after that!
76km to go: We've got another abandon unfortunately.
DSM has announced that Martijn Tusveld is now out of the race due to injury. The Dutch rider had a pretty nasty crash on stage two.
76km to go: We've just seen Sivakov sitting up and waiting for his teammates in the bunch. Hard to tell exactly what's happened to him here.
74km to go: It looks like the rain has finally cleared for the three guys left up the road. The breakaway are nearing the summit of the category four Monterperpoli climb which is next up on the road.
Gee took three points in the mountains classification at the top there, Cort had two and De Marchi one.
72km to go: The peloton led by Ineos has just crested the cat.4 climb.
It's just an advantage of 2-18 for the breakaway now. On the long, relatively flat run to the finish it's unlikely they'll be able to survive until the end.
70km to go: Here's how things currently stand in the mountains competition.
1. Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa) 104 points
2. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) 50 points
3. Kamil Vacek (Corratec) 36 points
4. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek-Segafredo) 26 points
5. Ben Healy (EF Education EasyPost) 24 points
67km to go: That's Caruso, Pasqualon and co swept up by the bunch!
We're off the brief descent of the cat.4 climb and onto the run to the finish.
53km to go: The breakaway's advantage is now just 2-30.
Now that we're onto the flat we're seeing a bit more of an organised chase behind as some of the teams start to think about a stage win later this afternoon.
Quick-Step are really working on the front of the bunch. We've just had a shot of Mark Cavendish back in the main field too.
With Pedersen and Gaviria out of the way, today could be a real opportunity for Cavendish to fight for victory for Astana.
52km to go: We've just seen a nasty crash involving Lukas Pöstlberger from Jayco-AIUla and Michel Ries (Arkéa-Samsic).
Not nice at all! Alberto Bettiol (EF Education_EasyPost) was brought down by a member of the race organisation who picked up Pöstlberger's bike and lent it against the wall at the side of the road.
Bettiol was fuming there, you can't blame him at all.
49km to go: Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic) was also was involved in a crash there. He's back up and holding his arm, but didn't look great.
In the meantime Erik Fetter (Eolo-Kometa) has abandoned the race. That's 150 guys left now.
47km to go: Bettiol, Pöstlberger and Ries are all back up and running.
It's just 2-13 for the leading trio now.
46km to go: Here's what bettiol's team manager Jonathan Vaughters had to say on that incident just then.
Oh man. @AlbertoBettiol is going to choose violence after that. Yikes.May 16, 2023
38km to go: Cort led the breakaway through the second intermediate sprint point a moment ago.
De Marchi and Gee were second and third.
There's a bit of a split in the main field now. A group led by UAE are behind the remnants of the main field and are working frantically to regain contact. Jay Vine is reportedly two minutes down now, a bad day for the Australian.
A couple of decent sprinters have regained contact with the pink jersey group, it's definitely all the play for still.
35km to go: Cort, De Marchi and Gee have just two mintues on the Maglia Rosa group now.
Vervaeke of Soudal Quick-Step is really driving the pace on the front of the remnants of that group along with Ghebreigzabhier of Trek.
Mark Cavendish is stripped down to his British national champion's jersey and the group are racing hard.
Could we see a Cavendish vs Mads Pedersen battle in Viareggio soon?!
Here's a clip of the Bettiol crash earlier.
pic.twitter.com/2MaValvL3DMay 16, 2023
29km to go: There seems to be a bit of hesitation in the Maglia Rosa group.
I still feel like this is a day for the break. Cort or Gee feel like the logical picks here.
27km to go: Cavendish must be feeling REALLY good today.
Gianni Moscon is on the front of the Maglia Rosa group and really lifting the tempo.
The Italian has one big engine, so expect to see that gap to the leading trio shredded slightly now.
18km to go: Gee, Cort and De Marchi are still pushing on. They've got just one minute on the Maglia Rosa Group now.
it's going to be a big ask for the trio to survive. They've been riding all day in the rain and will no doubt be starting to feel the fatigue setting in.
Bahrain and Trek are present at the front of the bunch, trying to lift the tempo even further.
Jens Voigt says Cavendish looks "hungry, mean and lean" in the peloton. Could it be his moment?!
13km to go: Thomas Gloag (Jumbo-Visma) nearly hit the deck there as a Bahrain rider crashed in front of him.
Everyone's getting panicky as the finish approaches!
11km to go: Just 43 seconds for the trio out front now!
Its going to go right down to the wire today.
Cavendish is sitting pretty in the middle of Moscon and Scaroni, his Astana teammates, at the head of the second group on the road.
It will be a huge ask for the Manxman to beat Mads Pedersen if it comes down to a sprint today.
Although as we all know, you can never, ever write off Cavendish!
8km to go: At this stage in the race, ithe advantage is tipping back in the favour of the breakaway trio!
What a performance that will be from them if they're able to take this to the line.
5km to go: Here's a shot of the breakaway trio as they approach the finish.
Derek Gee has just put in a huge turn in a last ditch attempt to ensure they make it.
It's really not looking good for the sprinters now.
2.2km to go: The breakaway have extended their lead here and are almost there.
it's going to be one of them that takes this
1.5km: Gee has pushed off the front! Is this the winning move?
1.1km to go: Cort has left De Marchi behind! He's onto Gee's wheel
Just a few hundred metres to go! De marchi is going for it!
Gee is straight onto his wheel!
Here goes Cort! He's got it!
MAGNUS CORT WINS STAGE TEN OF THE GIRO D'ITALIA! The Danish rider completes the set and now has stage wins at the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta to his name.
Mads Pedersen wins the sprint for fourth ahead of UAE's Pascal Ackermann!
That's two Danish riders in just a matter of days who have completed the Grand Tour stage win hat trick.... Mads Pedersen and Cort.
We'll have a full round up of today's stage on the site shortly!
