Giro d'Italia (2013) Photos; Stage 11: Tarvisio → Vajont, 182 km

The Breakaway: “Everyone could see that there was a good chance of a breakaway forming today. That’s why it took so long for the breakaway to form. The first part of the stage was on a descent and into a headwind, so it was difficult to open a gap. When we hit the long climb, the racing changed. The breakaway formed and everyone knew it would get away. The best guy in the General Classification was 10 minutes down, so the contenders could took it easy in view of the big stages that are approaching.”

The attack with Daniel Oss: “He’s a good rider. He was in the breakaway, so he clearly had good legs. I didn’t know how strong he was going to be on the last climb. We worked together until the climb began. While he was leading, I tried to see how he was feeling. I accelerated a couple of times to see how he would respond, and I saw that I had better legs. I made one attack, then a harder one, and then I saw I was alone. Then I tried to pace myself. The gap was never huge and right until the end I hoped he would get a second wind.”

A symbolic stage: “The racing was pretty tranquil today. A breakaway got away and we controlled it from behind. As for the history behind today’s stage, the Maglia Rosa and the Giro always embrace the history of every stage start and finish, so it was certainly in the back of our minds.

Controlling the race: “It isn’t the first time I’ve done this. When I won the Vuelta [in 2010], it was very difficult and I had to fight to the end to win it. Here, I’m taking it day by day. The road is long, and there is stiff opposition. Urán looks strong, and Scarponi tested himself a bit on the final climb, although the gradient wasn’t really enough to thin out the group. But the team worked very well all stage. We had everything under control. Tiralongo has recovered from his bronchitis, although Are is still very young and will need more time.”

Giro d'Italia (2013) Photos; Stage 11: Tarvisio → Vajont, 182 km