Three riders were able to make it to the finish line ahead of former break mates, chasers, and the peloton on Saturday’s 205km stage 14, from Cherasco to Cervinia. Nikolas Maes was the aggressor of the day for Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team, making an eight rider breakaway 60km into the stage that produced the eventual top three finishers.
In the first real mountain stage, Andrey Amador (Movistar) beat out Jan Barta (NetApp) and Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giacattoli) to the line. Meanwhile, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) attacked the peloton and as a result of his attempt to bridge, he took back the Maglia Rosa from Joaquim Rodriguez (+9”).
Barta attacked the break that included Maes on the first mountain climb of the day, the Col de Joux (Cat 1). The group had a significant gap at that point, but as the riders ascended, Barta’s gap increased and the rest of the break blew up on the 7 percent average gradient climb. Amador eventually caught and passed Barta, and De Marchi bridged to Amador in the final kilometers. Barta, despite being previously dropped, caught the duo and took 2nd. De Marchi was 3rd.
Dario Cataldo, who was in the top 10 of the GC the previous stage, crossed the line about 1’16” behind the stage winners. Nikolas Maes, who was in contention for the Maglia Azzurra, had difficulty on the first climb of the day.
